A 13C(d,n)-based epithermal neutron source for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) requires neutron sources suitable for in-hospital siting. Low-energy particle accelerators working in conjunction with a neutron producing reaction are the most appropriate choice for this purpose. One of the possible nuclear reactions is 13C(d,n)14N. The aim of this work is to evaluate the therapeutic capabilities of the neutron beam produced by this reaction, through a 30mA beam of deuterons of 1.45MeV. A Beam Shaping Assembly design was computationally optimized. Depth dose profiles in a Snyder head phantom were simulated with the MCNP code for a number of BSA configurations. In order to optimize the treatment capabilities, the BSA configuration was determined as the one that allows maximizing both the tumor dose and the penetration depth while keeping doses to healthy tissues under the tolerance limits. Significant doses to tumor tissues were achieved up to ∼6cm in depth. Peak doses up to 57Gy-Eq can be delivered in a fractionated scheme of 2 irradiations of approximately 1h each. In a single 1h irradiation, lower but still acceptable doses to tumor are also feasible. Treatment capabilities obtained here are comparable to those achieved with other accelerator-based neutron sources, making of the 13C(d,n)14N reaction a realistic option for producing therapeutic neutron beams through a low-energy particle accelerator. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

M E Capoulat, A J Kreiner. A 13C(d,n)-based epithermal neutron source for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB). 2017 Jan;33:106-113

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PMID: 28049613

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