Marked Low Skin Reaction of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy in Melanoma-Bearing Hamsters in Comparison with a Single-Dose Electron Beam at a Tumor Control Dose
In recent years, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has been established as a special treatment technique for overcoming the radiation resistance of malignant melanomas and brain tumors. There have been several reports on the comparing BNCT and conventional radiotherapy, but very few reports on the differences in normal tissue damage caused by them. The aim of this study was to clarify the differences in skin reactions between BNCT and the electrom beam at a tumor control dose. Hamsters' buttocks transplanted with D178 melanomas were irradiated with the same doses of either thermal neutron beams or 6-MeV electron beams. The skin reactions caused by BNCT were significantly milder than those by electron irradiation, even if the tumor doses were high. These findings lead us to conclude that BNCT is more advantageous than conventional radiotherapy in tumor control without serious damage to the surrounding normal tissue.
