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NRG News: Evaluation of Medical technique positive: Go-ahead for BNCT
The Boron Neutron Capture Technology (BNCT) is a very promising technology, which can be used
to treat brain tumors. A boroncompound that binds to the braintumor is
introduced into the patient. With a neutron beam the boron - bound to the tumor -
is actived, thus treating the tumor locally. The technique is very promising, but
it takes a nuclear reactor to produce the neutron beams required. The High Flux Reactor
in Petten, owned by the Joined Research Center of the EU and operated by NRG, is used
in the medical experiments with BNCT.
Medical evaluation of the first group of patients treated with BNCT
in Petten has been finished recently. In a meeting in Brussels participating
medical doctors (MD) have discussed the effects of the treatment on their patients.
The MDs were from hospitals of Amsterdam, Bremen, Essen, Gratz, Muenchen and Nice.
The official medical report has not been published yet, but preliminary conclusions are:
- There are no serious BNCT-related side-effects of the treatment
- The research will be continued. A second group of patients will be treated with
radiation dose, 10% higher than the first group received.
In Phase I of the BNCT project the focus is on ways to avoid damage to brain
tissue during treatment with BNCT. The medical evaluations of the therapeutic
effects of BNCT are envisaged in Phase II.
However, in Phase I therapeutic value is evaluated as well. With some caution - based
on treatment of 10 patients - , it can be concluded that:
- The therapeutic effect of BNCT is comparable with the effect
of conventional hospital treatments
including radiationtherapy and chemotherapy.
- BNCT is much less harmful for patients than conventional techniques
- Quality of life after treament with BNCT is much better than after treatment with
ordinary techniques like chemotherapy.
The conclusion by the MDs is that BNCT is a realistic new option for treatment of
braintumors that could not be treated in the past. Extension of the application
of BNCT to other tumors should be pursued.
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