5. Cancer treatment

We know that cancer cells are more sensitive than normal cells to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation, so neutrons can be used to treat cancers. Their effectiveness can be enhanced by a binary technique: Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).

The original idea was to accumulate a boron isotope that is highly absorbent to thermal neutrons ( ¹⁰ B) within cancer cells, then irradiate the diseased region with a neutron beam. The ¹⁰ B nuclei absorb the neutrons and are fissioned, producing an α particle and a ⁷ Li with a total kinetic energy of around 2.4 MeV, as well as a lower-energy γ ray (figure 8 ). The mean free path...