Analytical dosimetry and treatment planning for BNCT

Calculation of radiation dose distributions for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an essential supporting function for in vivo BNCT radiobiological research. Such calculations will also ultimately be routinely required for human treatment planning. Radiation transport and dose distribution analysis for BNCT is much more complex than is the case for standard photon therapy. There are several different physical radiation dose components associated with BNCT, each of which has it's own characteristic spatial distribution and Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE). Most of these radiation dose components result from neutron interactions that take place after the incident neutrons from the treatment beam have undergone several scattering interactions. Accordingly, many of the simplifying assumptions that work well for radiation transport calculations associated with treatment planning for standard photon therapy are not appropriate for BNCT. Full three-dimensional calculations with an explicit treatment of particle scattering and tissue heterogeneities are required