[ RadSafe ] Fwd: After many years, some news on BNCT: Japan-IAEA cooperation

Sat Oct 29 17:52:11 CDT 2016

Thanks.
I did a little follow-up search later.
Here's what I found.....

http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/attach/7921/00000000/bnct_0305_8p_e.pdf
Japan takes the lead in BNCT: In order to further improve BNCT

BNCT first began in America with clinical studies as a possible treatment to
selectively destroy cells. 
However, a number of problems could not be solved and the treatment failed
to meet expectations. 
Since then, Japan has made great progress on its own in this field and this
has led to the huge advances in BNCT today.
Fundamental academic progress was necessary in areas such as the development
of the source of an epithermal neutron, maintenance of facilities which are
used for irradiation, etc., developing the selective accumulation of boron
compounds in cancer cells and a precise understanding of this accumulation. 
We were able to solve these problems with the expertise shared with us from
associated fields and experience accumulated to become the best in the world
in BNCT treatment. 
To this end, BNCT is trying to become a new and ground-breaking force in
cancer treatment.

To date, the KUR Joint-use Medical Treatment Group has verified the
effectiveness of BNCT by offering the treatment to more than 500 patients
using reactor neutrons and has also developed an accelerator neutron source
for BNCT to facilitate wider use of the technique. 
In an effort to earn regulatory approval for the technique, the group began
clinical trials on the treatment of recurrent glioma in October of 2012 and
then on locally recurrent head and neck cancers in the spring of 2014.

What kind of treatment is BNCT?

Cancer treatments are broadly divided into three kinds; radiotherapy,
chemotherapy, and surgery. 
Using the reaction between a neutron and boron to selectively destroy only
cancer cells, BNCT is, in terms of effectiveness and safety, an epoch-making
treatment that differs radically from conventional radiotherapy and one that
promises to become a fourth option as a treatment for cancer

The advantages of BNCT
BNCT is efficacious for very difficult to treat invasive cancer, rapidly
spreading cancer, especially cancer which invades the nerve cells that do
not respond to standard radiation therapy.

The reaction of a neutron and boron destroys cancer cells selectively.
Uses low energy thermal neutrons which do little damage to the healthy
cells.
Ef¬cacious for invasive cancer, rapidly spreading cancer.
Short treatment period (Number of irradiations: 1-2, 30-60 min./time.)
Since an operation is unnecessary, it contributes to a patient's QOL.
Anti-cancer drugs are not used so there are no side effects.

-------------------------

http://www.jsnct.jp/pdf/02_nctletter.pdf 
The accelerator-driven BNCT facility at Southern TOHOKU General Hospital
The world’s first BNCT hospital 
Southern TOHOKU BNCT Research Center In June 2012 the STR decided to install
an accelerator-driven BNCT as a novel modality for cancer patients and
construction began in March 2013. The first accelerator-driven BNCT Research
Center in the world was established in September 2014 (Figure 2). 
The BNCT facility was commissioned and completed in February 2015 and opened
as a medical facility in November 2015, and the first clinical trial at the
Southern TOHOKU BNCT Research Center was performed in the beginning of 2016
for a patient with a brain tumor

-----------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Chris Alston
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2016 5:33 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Fwd: After many years, some news on BNCT: Japan-IAEA
cooperation

Jaro

As to GBM, I don't know.  But protons are now in (relatively) widespread
use, in the USA, and, if they're good for anything, it's head and neck
cancer.  Here's a representative site: http://www.pennprotontherapy.org/ .
Fortheir part, the Japanese are also putting a good bit of money into
"heavy-ion" RT.

P.S.  There is a paper in this month's, or last month's, *J Nucl Med* about
a radiopharmaceutical therapy (tx) for GBM, I believe.

Cheers
ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jaro Franta <jaro_10kbq at videotron.ca>
Date: Sat, Oct 29, 2016 at 1:55 PM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] After many years, some news on BNCT: Japan-IAEA
cooperation
To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List" <
radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu> According to the bulletin, "BNCT, which is
currently in clinical trials and is showing promise for treatment of skin,
neck and salivary gland cancers."
Oddly, no mention of glioblastoma (GBM), which has traditionally been the
focus of BNCT.
Are all other BNCT research programs around the world dead now ?
International BNCT symposia appear to have stopped as well.
Maybe all those dreadful cancers have been cured?
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/iaea-okayama-university-agree-
to-cooperate-on-promising-cancer-therapy

Jaro
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