Neutron autoradiography imaging of selective boron uptake in human metastatic tumours

S. Altieri, S. Bortolussi, P. Bruschi, P. Chiari, F. Fossati, S. Stella, U. Prati, L. Roveda, A. Zonta, C. Zonta, C. Ferrari, A. Clerici, R. Nano, T. Pinelli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The ability to selectively hit the tumour cells is an essential characteristic of an anti-tumour therapy. In boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) this characteristic is based on the selective uptake of 10B in the tumour cells with respect to normal tissues. An important step in the BNCT planning is the measurement of the boron concentration in the tissue samples, both tumour and healthy. When the tumour is spread through the healthy tissue, as in the case of metastases, the knowledge of the different kinds of tissues in the sample being analysed is crucial. If the percentage of tumour and normal tissues cannot be evaluated, the obtained concentration is a mean value depending on the composition of the different samples being measured. In this case an imaging method that could give information both on the morphology and on the spatial distribution of boron concentration in the sample would be a fundamental support. In this paper, the results of the boron uptake analysis in the tumour and in the healthy samples taken from human livers after boron phenylalanine (BPA) infusion are shown; boron imaging was performed using neutron autoradiography.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1850-1855
Number of pages6
JournalApplied Radiation and Isotopes
Volume66
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • BNCT
  • Boron imaging
  • Liver metastases
  • Neutron radiography

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiation

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