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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Combination Radiotherapy in an Orthotopic Mouse Brain Tumor Model
Published on: March 6, 2012
Concomitant boron-neutron capture therapy during fast-neutron irradiation of a rat glioma
T A Buchholz1, J S Rasey, G E Laramore
1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle.
Purpose:
Fast-neutron irradiation and boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) have been independently investigated as treatments for malignant disease. This study tested the feasibility of enhancing fast-neutron irradiation with concomitant BNCT.
Materials And Methods:
Seventeen male Fisher rats, each weighing 180-200 g and bearing 36B10 gliomas, were irradiated with graded doses of fast-neutron radiation. Half of the animals received an L-para-boronophenylalanine (BPA) fructose complex prior to treatment. An in vitro colony-forming assay was used to measure surviving fraction.
Results:
A significantly lower surviving fraction was noted in the tumors from the BPA group compared with those receiving neutrons alone at the three lower neutron doses (P < .005). With use of a linear quadratic curve fit of cell survival, the dose modifying factor was 1.32 at the 0.10 surviving fraction. Mean tumor boron concentration was 68.4 micrograms/g.
Conclusions:
BNCT enhancement of fast-neutron irradiation is feasible in an in vivo tumor system.
