Concomitant boron-neutron capture therapy during fast-neutron irradiation of a rat glioma.
OBJECTIVE
Fast-neutron irradiation and boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) have been independently investigated as treatments for malignant disease. This study tested the feasibility of enhancing fast-neutron irradiation with concomitant BNCT.


METHODS
Seventeen male Fisher rats, each weighing 180-200 g and bearing 36B10 gliomas, were irradiated with graded doses of fast-neutron radiation. Half of the animals received an L-para-boronophenylalanine (BPA) fructose complex prior to treatment. An in vitro colony-forming assay was used to measure surviving fraction.


RESULTS
A significantly lower surviving fraction was noted in the tumors from the BPA group compared with those receiving neutrons alone at the three lower neutron doses (P < .005). With use of a linear quadratic curve fit of cell survival, the dose modifying factor was 1.32 at the 0.10 surviving fraction. Mean tumor boron concentration was 68.4 micrograms/g.


CONCLUSIONS
BNCT enhancement of fast-neutron irradiation is feasible in an in vivo tumor system.
Buchholz
T A
TA
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle.
Rasey
J S
JS
Laramore
G E
GE
Livesey
J C
JC
Chin
L
L
Risler
R
R
Hamlin
D K
DK
Spence
A M
AM
Griffin
T W
TW
D000818:Animals; D001895:Boron / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D005910:Glioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
D001895:Boron