Neutrons for Therapy meeting
held on 12th October 2009
Neutrons have been used for therapy for more than five decades with waxing and waning interest from the radiotherapy community. Sadly, the number of fast neutron facilities has decreased to a few centres worldwide whose experience and potential are often unknown to the mainstream radiation oncologist. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy meanwhile looks, at last, to be making the big step from experimental set-ups on reactors to accelerator-based facilities in hospitals.
It is becoming increasingly important to intensify the collaboration between neutron facilities around the world to ensure the quality of neutron applications is at the highest level, to maintain skills and knowledge and to develop this modality to achieve the best outcomes for patients. We have therefore arranged this meeting at iThemba LABS.
This meeting was a joint effort between the University Duisburg-Essen, the Cyclotron Trust and iThemba LABS. It was organized as a satellite symposium in parallel with NEUDOS-11 and attracted interest and support from most of the neutron therapy centres worldwide. The idea for this meeting was conceived from a recent collaboration between iThemba and Essen. In fact, the University Hospital Essen is using the fast neutron facility at iThemba to treat German patients, its own cyclotron being under major revision.
Neutron therapy has not enjoyed a good press in the wider medical community. This is a great pity since neutrons have an important role in cancer treatment. Modern experience allows them to be a safe and reliable treatment option. We hope that the wider dissemination of results from all centres along with the positive outcomes from this meeting will help to change the discouraging perceptions of neutrons in therapy. More news to follow.
for more information, please Email: inform(at)neutrontherapy.com - please use @ in place of (at) - this is a spam saving device!
