Radiation dose measurements and Monte Carlo calculations for neutron and photon reactions in a human head phantom for accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy

Dose measurements and radiation transport calculations were investigated for the interactions within the human brain of fast neutrons, slow neutrons, thermal neutrons, and photons associated with accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (ABNCT). To estimate the overall dose to the human brain, it is necessary to distinguish the doses from the different radiation sources. Using organic scintillators, human head phantom and detector assemblies were designed, constructed, and tested to determine the most appropriate dose estimation system to discriminate dose due to the different radiation sources that will ultimately be incorporated into a human head phantom to be used for dose measurements in ABNCT. Monoenergetic and continuous energy neutrons were generated via the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction in a metallic lithium target near the reaction threshold using the 5.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. A human head phantom was built to measure and to distinguish the doses which result from proton recoils induced by fast neutrons, alpha particles and recoil lithium nuclei from the 10B(n,alpha)7Li reaction, and photons generated in the 7Li accelerator target as well as those generated inside the head phantom through various nuclear reactions at the same time during neutron irradiation procedures. The phantom consists of two main parts to estimate dose to tumor and dose to healthy tissue as well: a 3.22 cm3 boron loaded plastic scintillator which simulates a boron containing tumor inside the brain and a 2664 cm3 cylindrical liquid scintillator which represents the surrounding healthy tissue in the head. The Monte Carlo code MCNPX(TM) was used for the simulation of radiation transport due to neutrons and photons and extended to investigate the effects of neutrons and other radiation on the brain at various depths.