A preliminary experimental study of boron neutron capture therapy for malignant tumors spreading in thoracic cavity
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2007 Apr;37(4):245-9. Epub 2007 May 18. [Link]
Minoru Suzuki1,, Yoshinori Sakurai2, Shinichiro Masunaga1, Yuko Kinashi1, Kenji Nagata1, Akira Maruhashi2 and Koji Ono1
1 Particle Oncology Research Center
2 Division of Medical Physics, Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Osaka, Japan
For reprints and all correspondence: Minoru Suzuki, Particle Oncology Research Center, Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, 2-1010, Asashiro-nishi, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan. E-mail: msuzuki@rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Abstract
Background: The purpose of the present study is to verify the treatment effects of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in ectopic tumors implanted in the thoracic cavity mimicking malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
Methods: The tumor model was created by implanting murine squamous cell carcinoma cells into the thoracic cavity. Mice were sorted into four groups: group I for non-treatment; group II for neutron irradiation; group III for γ-ray irradiation; and group IV for BNCT irradiation. The antitumor effect was evaluated on the basis of the change in survival time. To assess the effects of BNCT on normal lung, non-tumor bearing mice were treated using the same method as done to the tumor-burdened mice.
Results: The BNCT group had a longer survival time of 31 days (range 5 – 60), which was significantly longer than that of the non-treated control group (P = 0.011), but not significantly different from that of the neutron and γ-ray groups (P = 0.067 and 0.094, respectively). In the BNCT and neutron groups, incidence of minimal lung fibrosis was significantly higher compared with the non-treated control group (P = 0.003 and 0.04, respectively).
Conclusions: BNCT is a potentially promising treatment for malignant tumors spreading in the thoracic cavity such as MPM.
Keywords: BNCT, malignant pleural mesothelioma, experimental study.
