Selective cancer treatment by Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT)-a review

Cancer is the biggest question-mark for the medical science. However many effective drugs are available for the cancer treatment, the biggest obstacle is the selective targeting the drug to the cancer cells. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy(BNCT) is a selective therapy of the cancer, it may not affect or affect little to the normal cells,

It works on 2 principles

(1)Boron can capture the neutron & getting unstable.

(2)Subsequently nuclear fission of boron occurs via emitting radiation.

So, Delivered the required dose of boron to the cancerous cells and triggering it with the Neutron beam to this cancer cells which contain the boron, This neutron is capture by the neutron of cancer cells, getting unstable & subsequently nuclear fission is occur, this lethal radiation ultimately kills the cancer cells & normal cells are survive.

The nuclear reaction is:

¹⁰B + n_th → [¹¹B] → α + ⁷Li + 2.31 MeV

The future prospective are to limit the radiation to the cancer cells only & efficiently deliver the Boron to the cancer cell only, also evaluate the other radioactive materials like Gadolinium in place of Boron.