Status report of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation National Aeronautics and Space Administration Neutron Therapy Center

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation-National Aeronautics and Space Administration Cyclotron treatment facility is unique having both horizontal and vertical neutron beams. At the present time patients are treated with a d(25)Be neutron beam. In the near future, treatment will be with a p(43)Be neutron beam possibly hardened with polyethylene. Some physical characterization of the target hardware and subsequent complete physical characterization awaits the results of RBE measurements at Dsub(max) and D50 for hardened and unhardened beams. Treatment planning is accomplished with the aid of various equipment. Tumor, target and treatment volumes as well as critical structures are localized with a dedicated treatment planning CAT scanner and therapy simulator. Suitable neutron, photon and combined isodose distributions are worked out on two treatment planning computers for open and wedged fields, without inhomogeneity corrections. However inhomogeneity corrections are planned for the future. A motorized couch and chair, beam shaping and blocking devices, head pads, light cast masks and laser beams are available for reproducing treatments on a daily basis. (orig.)