Prospects for the new era of boron neutron capture therapy and subjects for the future

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) includes three important points that the research of radiation therapy in 20th century has reached. BNCT, which started in nuclear reactors, has great promise in the future, as its effectiveness has been demonstrated on many X-ray resistant cancers. Under such circumstances, practical accelerator neutron sources are developed by researchers and companies in Japan, and clinical test is also at its final stage, and approval day for real medical treatment is approaching. However, expansion of the type of cancers for indication is an important subject, and for that, research on the CBE value for ¹⁰B drug applicable to the response of normal tissue by BNCT must proceed. In addition, looking ahead to the future, development of a boron drug which is superior to current paraboronophenylalanine (BPA) is strongly desired especially. Boron chemists and pharmaceutical scientists are responsible on this subject. BNCT has infinite possibilities due to the development of such constituent elements.