title: Evaluation of performance of an accelerator-based BNCT facility for the treatment of different tumor targets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Encouraging Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) clinical results obtained in recent years have stimulated intense research to develop accelerator-based neutron sources to be installed in clinical facilities. In this work an assessment of an accelerator-based BNCT facility for the treatment of different tumor targets was performed, comparing the accelerator-derived results with reported reactor-based trials under similar conditions and subjected to the same clinical protocols.
  
  
  METHODS
  A set of real image studies was used to cover clinical-like cases of brain and head-and-neck tumors. In addition, two clinical cases of malignant nodular melanoma treated at the RA-6 BNCT facility in Argentina were used to thoroughly compare the clinical dosimetry with the accelerator-derived results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The minimum weighted dose delivered to the clinical target volume was higher than 30 Gy and 14 Gy for the brain tumor and head-and-neck cases, respectively, in agreement with those achieved in clinical applications. For the melanoma cases, the minimum tumor doses were equal or higher than those achieved with the RA-6 reactor for identical field orientation and protocol. The whole-body dose assessment showed that the maximum photon-equivalent doses for those normal organs close to the beam direction were below the upper limits considered in the protocols used in the present work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results indicate not only the good performance of the proposed beam shaping assembly design associated to the facility but also the potential applicability of accelerator-based BNCT in the treatment of both superficial and deep-seated tumors.
authors: Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, CNEA, Av. Gral. Paz 1499, B1650KNA Buenos Aires, Argentina. herrera@tandar.cnea.gov.ar
authors: M S
authors: MS
authors: Herrera
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: González
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Minsky
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Kreiner
mesh_terms: D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000528:radiation effects
keywords: Accelerator-based neutron source; Treatment planning assessment; Whole-body dose assessment