Radiology, Vol 191, 863-867, Copyright © 1994 by Radiological Society of North America
Concomitant boron-neutron capture therapy during fast-neutron irradiation of a rat glioma
TA Buchholz, JS Rasey, GE Laramore, JC Livesey, L Chin, R Risler, DK Hamlin, AM Spence and TW Griffin
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle.
PURPOSE: 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. MATERIALS AND 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.
