Analysis of boron neutron capture reaction sensitivity using Monte Carlo simulation and proposal of a new dosimetry index in boron neutron capture therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy is a cellular-scale heavy-particle therapy. The factor determining the biological effects in the boron neutron capture reaction (BNCR) is the value of alpha(boron), which is the alpha component in the Linear Quadratic (LQ) model. Recently, the factor determining the value of alpha(boron) has been revealed to correspond to the structural features of the tumor tissue. However, the relationship and mechanism have yet to be thoroughly studied. In this study, we simulated BNCR in tissues using the Monte Carlo simulation technique and examined the factors that determine the value of alpha(boron). According to this simulation, the nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio, nuclear diameter and heterogeneity of the distribution of boron in the tissue have been suggested to determine the value of alpha(boron). Moreover, we proposed Biological Effectivity (BE) as a new dosimetry index based on the surviving fraction (SF), extending the concept of absolute biological effectiveness (ABE) in a previous report.