Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is based on the ability of the non-radioactive isotope boron-10 to capture thermal neutrons with very high probability and immediately to release heavy particles with a path length of one cell diameter, which in principle allows for tumor cell-selective high-LET particle radiotherapy. This book provides a comprehensive summary of the progress made in NCT in recent years. Individual sections cover all important aspects, including neutron sources, boron chemistry, drugs for NCT, dosimetry, and radiation biology. The use of NCT in a variety of malignancies and also some non-malignant diseases is extensively discussed. NCT is clearly shown to be a promising modality at the threshold of wider clinical application. All of the chapters are written by experienced specialists in language that will be readily understood by all participating disciplines.

Frontiers in Neutron Capture Therapy contains current research results originally presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Neutron Capture Therapy for Cancer in La Jolla, CA. This comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed manuscripts is showcased in two volumes covering all aspects of the development of this multidisciplinary approach to cancer therapy. Volume I of this work includes clinical results and current progress in treatment planning, neutron sources and dosimetry, while Volume II presents the synthesis, pharmacology and tissue-targeting design of boron compounds, including work on preclinical dosimetry and radiobiology. Intended for researchers and clinicians involved with or interested in new modes of cancer therapy, this volume will also serve as a useful guideline for scientists, students, and practitioners in the field.

The book focuses on two concurrent experimental therapies in cancer treatment known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and gadolinium neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) using a variety of boron- and gadolinium-based compounds. Some of the gadolinium compounds serve the dual purpose as being MRI contrast agents and GdNCT agents. The book describes why BNCT & GdNCT were not at the forefront of the clinical trials during the past seven to eight decades since the discovery of neutrons by John Chadwick in 1932 and how the latest development in the synthesis of target boron- and gadolinium-based drugs has turned the area into the hottest one worthy of further investigation with the new clinical trials in the USA and elsewhere.

Since Locher first suggested Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in 1936, this theoretically ideal system has intrigued investigators. Unfortunately, the first clinical trials between 1951-1961 were not successful. However, they served to implant firmly the seed of BNCT, the growth of which has been carefully nurtured at a number of locations world-wide. This fact is attested to by the ongoing clinical trials in Japan as well as by the presence of researchers from active groups in the ten countries represented at this Workshop. In 1983 and 1985, the first and second international biannual symposia on BNCT were held, in response to a resurgence of interest in this field. In 1986, the DOE sponsored a workshop on NCT, in large part directed toward evaluating the national effort and the various neutron sources available within the United States. It now seems likely, because of various factors including improved neutron beams and boron delivery systems which have made the modality more attractive, that clinical trials will be initiated in the United States within the next few years. This 1988 special workshop, interspersed between the biannual international symposia, represents an effort to seek ideas and advice on the clinical a~pects of BNCT, from all those diverse groups with a national commitment to this project. Our purpose is to facilitate our endeavor to incorporate the best procedures and techniques in the upcoming clinical trials.

Binary systems for the treatment of cancer potentially are among the most attractive of the new therapeutic modalities that currently are under investigation. The basicconcept is to selectivelydestroy malignantcells whileconcomitantlysparing normal tissue. Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is the binary system that has been the subject of the Fifth International Symposium on Neutron Capture Therapy, which was held September13-17, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, undertheauspicesoftheInternational Society for Neutron Capture Therapy. Its objective was to bring together researchers from throughout the world and to provide a forum at which they could present the latest advances in the development of Neutron capture therapy. Neutron capture therapy has largely, but not exclusively, focused on the use of boron-10 as the target nuclide. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on the nuclear reaction that occurs when the stable isotope, boron-10, absorbs low-energy non ionizing thermal neutrons to yield alphaparticles and recoiling lithium-7 nuclei. The size and energy of these high linear energy transfer (LET) particles result in their being confined largely to the cells in which the capture reaction occurs. For BNCT to be successful, a sufficient numberof I~atoms mustbe localized within neoplastic cells, and enough thermal neutrons must be delivered and absorbed by the I~ to produce a lethal 1~(n,QVLi reaction. Two major problems must be surmounted.

The scientific and clinical foundations of Radiation Therapy are cross-disciplinary. This book endeavours to bring together the physics, the radiobiology, the main clinical aspects as well as available clinical evidence behind Radiation Therapy, presenting mutual relationships between these disciplines and their role in the advancements of radiation oncology.

Noted experts review the current status of boron-containing drugs and materials for molecular medical diagnostics Boron-Based Compounds offers a summary of the present status and promotes the further development of new boron-containing drugs and advanced materials, mostly boron clusters, for molecular medical diagnostics. The knowledge accumulated during the past decades on the chemistry and biology of bioorganic and organometallic boron compounds laid the foundation for the emergence of a new area of study and application of boron compounds as lipophilic pharmacophores and modulators of biologically active molecules.This important text brings together in one comprehensive volume contributions from renowned experts in the field of medicinal chemistry of boron compounds. The authors cover a range of the most relevant topics including boron compounds as modulators of the bioactivity of biomolecules, boron clusters as pharmacophores or for drug delivery, boron compounds for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and for diagnostics, as well as in silico molecular modeling of boron- and carborane-containing compounds in drug design. Authoritative and accessible, Boron-Based Compounds: Contains contributions from a panel of internationally renowned experts in the field Offers a concise summary of the current status of boron-containing drugs and materials used for molecular diagnostics Highlights the range and capacity of boron-based compounds in medical applications Includes information on boron neutron capture therapy and diagnostics Designed for academic and industrial scientists, this important resource offers the cutting-edge information needed to understand the current state of boron-containing drugs and materials for molecular medical diagnostics.