In this After-Pop, Danielle breaks down Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) — a precision cancer treatment that uses nuclear science to selectively target tumors while sparing healthy tissue.
You’ll learn:
– What boron is and how it works inside cancer cells
– How neutron beams are made (yes, actual beams of neutrons!)
– What “epithermal neutrons” are and why they matter
– Who could benefit from BNCT and why it’s gaining traction again
– How newer technologies are making BNCT more accessible worldwide
Whether you're a curious student, a medical science nerd, or just someone who loves smart bombs for tumors, this one’s for you.
Key Takeaways:
--BNCT is a two-part therapy using boron and neutron beams to destroy cancer cells with incredible precision.
--Epithermal neutrons are ideal for this process because they penetrate tissue effectively but still slow down enough to interact with boron.
--The particles created from the boron-neutron reaction only travel about the width of a single cell — keeping the damage ultra-local.
--BNCT is gaining renewed interest due to better boron delivery agents and compact accelerator-based neutron sources.
🔹 It’s especially promising for hard-to-treat cancers like glioblastomas, melanomas, and head and neck tumors.
Want to go deeper? Here are the sources referenced in this episode:
Barth RF, Mi P, Yang W. (2018). Boron neutron capture therapy of cancer: current status and future prospects. Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research. PMC article
IAEA (2020). Current Status of Neutron Capture Therapy. IAEA Human Health Series. IAEA PDF
Miyatake S, et al. (2021). Boron neutron capture therapy: Clinical experiences and future challenges. Frontiers in Oncology. Frontiers article
