Neutron Spectrometry Measurements of the Petten HFR, HB11 Neutron Beam

Abstract

The Joint Research Centre (JRC), Petten, Netherlands, is currently at the forefront of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) research using intermediate energy neutrons. BNCT is a technique, under development, for the treatment of cancer, particularly glioblastoma, a fatal form of brain tumour. 10B is preferentially introduced into the tumour cells and subsequent irradiation with thermal neutrons causes the 10B to split, producing 7Li ions and alpha particles. These both have short range (approximately equal to the diameter of the tumour cells) and are highly damaging to tissue. Hence, if the partition ratio of 10B concentration between tumour and healthy cells is sufficiently large, the tumour cells are killed whilst the surrounding normal tissue is relatively undamaged. Because of the poor penetration of thermal neutrons, their use for BNCT applied to glioblastomas requires extensive surgery to reflect the scalp and open an aperture in the skull. Consequently, except in Japan, their use for BNCT is restricted to the development of treatments for melanomas. However, intermediate energy neutrons are able to penetrate surface tissue prior to thermalisation, thus avoiding the need for traumatic surgery.