Workshop on Accelerator Based Neutron Capture Therapies (AB-NCT)
Neutron Capture Therapies (NCT) are radiotherapy modalities for the treatment of some types of diffuse, infiltrating and/or very radio-resistant malignant tumours and other pathologies for which there are currently only palliative, low-effectiveness or mutilating treatments.
These therapies rely on the selective administration of either a 10B-carrying compound that preferentially accumulates in tumour cells (BNCT) or a 157Gd-carrying compound (GdNCT).
Subsequently, when the patient is irradiated with a neutron beam, lethal doses are delivered to tumor tissues by: i) α particles and 7Li ions produced in the boron neutron capture reaction 10B(n,α)7Li in the case of BNCT or ii) Auger and conversion electrons in the case of GdNCT . Due to the selectivity of the 10B (157Gd )-carrying compound and the small range of these particles, comparable to the size of a cell, the damage is localized in the tumour without harming the surrounding healthy tissue significantly.
So far, neutron sources for clinical trials have been based on existing nuclear reactors. However, the prospects of expanding NCT require the implementation of neutron sources suitable for in-hospital sitting (something which is not possible for a nuclear reactor). Accelerator-Based (AB) neutron sources are the best choice for this purpose.
The aim of this workshop is to gather clinicians, physicists, radio-biologists, chemists, and have an overview on the medical assets of AB-NCT, the existing international projects, the technological issues to overcome in order to bring this innovative therapy to the clinical routine. The opportunity to undertake a medical-oriented research in France will be discussed, along with the possible strategies.
Local Organization Committee : Denis Dauvergne, Julien Giraud, Véronique Ghetta, Jean François Muraz, Jocelyne Riffault, Pablo Rubiolo, Daniel Santos
Place : LPSC - 53 avenue des Martyrs - 38 026 GRENOBLE CEDEX
Phone : 33 (0)4 76 28 40 00
