An attempt to use neutrons to kill glioblastoma brain tumours is showing
promise.
Patients swallow a boron compound, which is taken up preferentially by cancer
cells. They are then irradiated with a neutron beam at the European Commission鈥檚
High Flux Reactor at Petten in the Netherlands. The neutrons make the boron emit
alpha particles, which kill cancer cells.
The tumours in two patients appear to have stopped growing. A third patient
will be treated next week.
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The trials were supposed to start in 1991 (鈥淭umours in the neutron trap鈥�, New
杏吧原创, 18 November 1989, p 56) but it has taken until now to get official
approval from all the countries supplying patients.