[Therapy by neutron capture of ocular melanoma: dosimetry and microdosimetry]

Neutron capture therapy (NCT) aims at destroying cancerous cells with the alpha and 7Li particles produced by the neutron capture reaction on 10B. This note reports on the study of the boron distribution in tissues on an animal model (nude mice) xenografted with a human ocular melanoma after an i.p.injection of 2g/kg of 10B-BPA and in cells cultured in the presence of 530 mumol/l of 10B-BPA. A concentration of 64 ppm of 10B in the active part of the tumour with a ratio of concentrations versus the skin of 3.7 are observed. Investigations on cells reveal the presence of boron in the cytoplasm. The biological, dosimetric and microdosimetric consequences of these findings are discussed.