Assessment of the results from the phase I/II boron neutron capture therapy trials at the Brookhaven National Laboratory from a clinician's point of view

Boron neutron capture therapy ( BNCT) represents a promising modality for a relatively selective radiation dose delivery to the tumor tissue. The key to effective BNCT of tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme ( GBM) is the homogeneous preferential accumulation of B-10 in the tumor, including the infiltrating GBM cells, as compared to that in the vital structures of the normal brain. Provided that sufficiently high tumor B-10 concentration (similar to 10(9) boron-10 atoms/ cell) and an adequate thermal neutron fluence (similar to 10(9) neutrons/ cm(2)) are achieved, it is the ratio of the B-10 concentration in tumor cells to that in the normal brain cells and the blood that will largely determine the therapeutic gain of BNCT.