Neutron Source For Neutron Capture Therapy Of Cancer Tissues At Kyiv Research Reactor

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Neutron Source For Neutron Capture Therapy Of
Cancer TissuesAt Kyiv Research Reactor

• STCU Workshop "From Science to Business"
• 11 12 October 2006, Kyiv
•  
• Olena GRITZAY
• Tel [phone]
• ogritzay_at_kinr.kiev.ua
• Institute for Nuclear Research NAS Ukraine
• Kyiv

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• Today NCT is a promising form of radiation
  therapy.
• It includes 2 interconnected features
• the infusion or delivery of a capture compound,
  which preferentially concentrates in the tumor,
• then the irradiation of the tumor site by
  neutrons.
• As the isotope B-10 is often used as the neutron
  capture agent, in this case NCT is called Boron
  Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).

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Why 10B? The large cross section of thermal
neutron interactions with B-10 isotope (?th ? 4
000 barn) causes high probability of a slitting
of boron nucleus onto He and Li. As ionization
capability of He and Li ions is high, and their
runs are short, then the cells, preferably
enriched by boron, are killed and the healthy
cells are damaged much less.
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• Thermal neutrons? No.
• Why?
• Tumor (in brain) is located on depths 3-10 cm.
• nth
• low penetrating capability
• high skin dose

The most suitable neutrons for BNCT are neutrons
with energy in the region from 1 eV to 10 keV
(epithermal), because their direct tissue damage
is smaller than for thermal or fast neutrons.
Such epithermal neutron beams may be formed at
nuclear research reactors.
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No necessity to build a new reactor, because
the ready-made one may be used after
reconstruction that does not touch on basic
functional modules
The concept of the source consists in
transformation of the reactor radiation into
epithermal radiation.
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BNCT facility in world
Facility HFR (Petten) MITR-II (USA) BMRR (USA) KRR (Kyiv)
Power (MW) 45 3 3 10
Status operate operated plan ?
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Stage of Development

• Calculations have shown that an epithermal
  neutron source, which meets requirements of BNCT,
  can be constructed at the Kyiv research reactor
  by means of replacement of materials filling the
  thermal column with special composition.
• Neutron filter of Ni-60 can essential improve
  the therapeutic source parameters.

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KRR Thermal Column Reconstruction

• I TC (untill reconstruction) A the first
  block, B the second block.
• II Geometry for MCNP calculations (vertical
  cross section through the core center)

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Advantages of BNCT method

• a possibility to destroy tumors without highly
  traumatic surgical operation
• a possibility to give high radiation doses in
  malignant cells and at that do not destroy
  healthy ones

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Areas of Applications

• oncology, especially treating tumors in brain
• veterinary medicine

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Contact information

• Olena Gritzay
• Tel [phone]
• ogritzay_at_kinr.kiev.ua
• Institute for Nuclear Research NAS Ukraine
• Kyiv
• Technology Reference Alexander Sich
• alex.sich_at_stcu.int