Presently glioblastomas are incurable brain tumors. The prospect of treating this deadly disease has been the major justification for the current programs of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) throughout the world. However, based on pharmacological and cell biological considerations, it is improbable that BNCT will ever be an effective therapy for this tumor. Indeed, a review of the published literature over the last 50 years fails to provide justification for developing BNCT past its present experimental stage.
van RijC. M.WilhelmA. J.SauerweinW. A. G.van LoenenA. C.Boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme. Pharm World Sci27, 92–95 (2005).
2.
DiazA. Z.Assessment of the results from the phase I/II boron neutron capture therapy trials at the Brookhaven National Laboratory from a clinician's point of view. J Neuro-Oncol62, 101–109 (2003).
3.
SkarsgardL. D.Radiobiology with heavy charged particles: A historic review. Phys Med14 (suppl 1), 1–19 (1998).
4.
FarrL. E.SweetW. H.RobertsonJ. S.Neutron capture with boron in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. Am J Roentenol Rad Ther Nucl Med71, 279–291 (1954).
5.
BarthR. F.CoderreJ. A.VicenteM. G.BlueT. E.Boron neutron capture therapy of cancer: Current status and future prospects. Clin Cancer Res11, 3987–4002 (2005).
6.
GuptaN.GahbauerR. A.BlueT. E.AlbertsonB.Common challenges and problems in clinical trials of boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors. J Neuro-Oncol62, 197–210 (2003).
7.
SmithD. R.ChandraS.BarthR. F.Quantitative imaging and microlocalization of boron-10 in brain tumors and infiltrating tumor cells by SIMS ion microscopy: Relevance to neutron capture therapy. Cancer Res61, 8179–8187 (2001).
8.
PapaspyrouM.FeinendegenL. E.Müller-GärtnerH. W.Preloading with L-tyrosine increases the uptake of boronophenylalanine in mouse melanoma cells. Cancer Res54, 6311–6314 (1994).
9.
TolpinE. I.WellumG. R.DohanJrF. C.Boron neutron capture therapy of cerebral gliomas-II. Utilization of the blood-brain barrier and tumor-specific antigens for the selective concentration of boron in gliomas. Oncology32, 223–246 (1975).
10.
CoderreJ. A.ChananaA. D.JoelD. D.Biodistribution of boronophenylalanine in patients with glioblastoma multiforme: Boron concentration correlates with tumor cellularity. Rad Res149, 163–170 (1998).
11.
DahlströmM.CapalaJ.LindströmP.Accumulation of boron in human malignant glioma cells in vitro is cell type dependent. J Neuro-Oncol68, 199–205 (2004).
12.
BarthR. F.JoensuuH.Boron neutron capture therapy for the treatment of glioblastomas and extracranial tumours: As effective, more effective or less effective than photon irradiation?Radiother Oncol82, 119–122 (2007).
13.
BarthR. F.YangW.CoderreJ. A.Rat brain tumor models to assess the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy: A critical evaluation. J Neuro-Oncol62, 61–74 (2003).
14.
HawthorneM. F.LeeM. W.A critical assessment of boron target compounds for boron neutron capture therapy. J Neuro-Oncol62, 33–45 (2003).
15.
BarthR. F.YangW.AdamsD. M.Molecular targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor for neutron capture therapy of gliomas. Cancer Res62, 3159–3166 (2002).
16.
GabelD.FosterS.FairchildR. G.The Monte Carlo simulation of the biological effect of the 10B(n, alpha)7Li reaction in cells and tissue and its implication for boron neutron capture therapy. Rad Res111, 14–25 (1987).
17.
van Vliet-VroegindeweijC.WheelerF.Stecher-RasmussenF.Microdosimetry model for boron neutron capture therapy: I. Determination of microscopic quantities of heavy particles on a cellular scale. Rad Res155, 490–497 (2001).
18.
BucheggerF.Perillo-AdamerF.DupertuisY. M.DelaloyeA. B.Auger radiation targeted into DNA: A therapy perspective. Europ J Nucl Med Mol Imaging33, 1352–1363 (2006).
19.
HatanakaH.NakagawaY.Clinical results of long-surviving brain tumor patients who underwent boron neutron capture therapy. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys30, 1061–1066 (1994).
HatanakaH.A revised boron-neutron capture therapy for malignant brain tumors. II. Interim clinical result with the patients excluding previous treatments. J Neurol209, 81–94 (1975).
22.
DurrantK. R.HopewellJ. W.Fractionation and other clinical considerations in boron neutron capture therapy. Strahlenther Onkol165, 231–233 (1989).
23.
GabelD.SauerweinW.Clinical implementation of boron neutron capture therapy in Europe. In Hadrontherapy in Oncology, pp. 509–517. Eds., AmaldiU.LarssonB.Amsterdam, Elsevier Science (1994).
24.
LaramoreG. E.SpenceA. M.Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for high-grade gliomas of the brain: A cautionary note. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys36, 241–246 (1996).
25.
NakagawaY.PoohK.KobayashiT.Clinical review of the Japanese experience with boron neutron capture therapy and a proposed strategy using epithermal neutron beams. J Neuro-Oncol62, 87–99 (2003).
26.
JoensuuH.KankaanrantaL.SeppalaT.Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: Clinical trials at the Finnish facility using boronophenylalanine. J Neuro-Oncol62, 123–134 (2003).
27.
CapalaJ.StenstamB. H.SkoldK.Boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme: Clinical studies in Sweden. J Neuro-Oncol62, 135–144 (2003).
28.
FlorellR. C.MacdonaldD. R.IrishW. D.Selection bias, survival, and brachytherapy for glioma. J Neurosurg76, 179–183 (1992).
29.
LoefflerJ. S.AlexanderE.WenP. Y.Results of stereotactic brachytherapy used in the initial management of patients with glioblastoma. J Natl Cancer Inst82, 1918–1921 (1990).
30.
VideticG. M.GasparL. E.ZamoranoL.Implant volume as a prognostic variable in brachytherapy decision-making for malignant gliomas stratified by the RTOG recursive partitioning analysis. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys51, 963–968 (2001).
HenrikssonR.CapalaJ.H-StenstamB.Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for glioblastoma multiforme: A phase 2 study evaluating a prolonged high dose of boronophenylalanine (BPA). Radiother Oncol79, 150–157 (2006) (RETRACTED Sep. 2006).
33.
RassowJ.SauerweinW.WittigA.Advantage and limitations of weighting factors and weighted dose quantities and their units in boron neutron capture therapy. Med Phys31, 1128–1134 (2004).
34.
OnoK.UedaS.OdaY.Boron neutron capture therapy for malignant glioma at Kyoto University Reactor [abstract]. In: Seventh International Symposium on Neutron Capture Therapy for Cancer. Zurich, 4–7 Sept. 1996, pp. 161. Eds., LarssonB.CrawfordJ. (1996).
35.
YamamotoT.MatsumuraA.NakaiK.Current clinical results of the Tsukuba BNCT trial. Applied Radiat Isotopes61, 1089–1093 (2004).
36.
VosM. J.TurowskiB.ZanellaF. E.Radiologic findings in patients treated with boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme within EORTC trial 11961. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys61, 392–399 (2005).