Installation and Testing of an Optimized Epithermal Neutron Beam at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR)

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Abstract
Initial clinical trials of Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) in the United States were unsuccessful. Lack of success has been attributed to two causes: (1) absence of selective localization of boron in tumor cells, and (2) poor penetration in tissue of the thermal-neutron beams used. Since then, improved compounds have been developed which can be selectively targeted to tumor [1–3]. In addition, improvements have been made in neutron delivery. At a workshop on neutron sources for NCT held in 1986, it was recommended that current technology be utilized to produce pure epithermal-neutron beams for NCT. These would provide the increased penetration in tissue required for improved therapy. The study group on neutron beams recommended that these beams should have an epithermal-neutron flux density of ~1×109 n/cm2-s (or more) to enable application of therapy within ~1 hour (or less) [4].