The munich fission neutron therapy facility MEDAPP at the research reactor FRM II

Wagner, F.M.; Kneschaurek, P.; Kastenmüller, A.; Loeper-Kabasakal, Birgit; Kampfer, S.; Breitkreutz, Harald; Waschkowski, W.; Molls, M.; Petry, W.

doi:10.1007/s00066-008-1878-3

Cited by 26 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…The new treatment facility MedApp at FRM II offers a horizontal beam of unmoderated fission neutrons with a mean energy of 1.9 MeV Wagner et al, 2008). Compared to higher energy neutrons used at other neutron therapy facilities, fission neutrons show the highest linear energy transfer (LET) resulting in high biological effectiveness (RBE), but at the expense of low penetration depth (the 50% isodose is 5 cm deep in a water phantom).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fission neutron therapy at FRM II: Indications and first results

Loeper-Kabasakal

Posch²,

Auberger³

et al. 2010

Radiation Measurements

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fission neutron therapy at FRM II: Indications and first results

Loeper-Kabasakal

Posch²,

Auberger³

et al. 2010

Radiation Measurements

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“…In earlier measurements [ 1 , 30 ] the neutron and photon depth-dose curves in a water phantom were determined by a pair of thimble chambers with different neutron sensitivity that were irradiated at the patient position (EXTRADIN-chamber one out of tissue-equivalent (TE) material A150 with TE gas; sensitivity to neutrons/gamma = 48.5/51.5%; chamber two out of Mg/Ar, neutron sensitivity 2%, chamber volume: 0.5 cm 3 ). The phantom consisted of a box of Perspex filled with about 1701 of water with an entrance window for the horizontal beam and a device to position the ionization chambers.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In both geometries, the primary neutron and photon beam cross section was a square of 9 × 9 cm 2 , which is the same as the one used for the measurements [ 1 , 3 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the former research reactor FRM at Garching, Germany, neutrons have been used for radiation therapy since 1985, and 715 patients with different types of tumors were treated until its shut-down in July 2000. Since June 2007, neutron irradiation treatments are performed at the new Medical Application facility (MEDAPP) at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) [ 1 , 2 ]. This new reactor was designed to provide a very high neutron fluence rate, primarily at thermal energies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First steps towards a fast-neutron therapy planning program

et al. 2011

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BackgroundThe Monte Carlo code GEANT4 was used to implement first steps towards a treatment planning program for fast-neutron therapy at the FRM II research reactor in Garching, Germany. Depth dose curves were calculated inside a water phantom using measured primary neutron and simulated primary photon spectra and compared with depth dose curves measured earlier. The calculations were performed with GEANT4 in two different ways, simulating a simple box geometry and splitting this box into millions of small voxels (this was done to validate the voxelisation procedure that was also used to voxelise the human body).ResultsIn both cases, the dose distributions were very similar to those measured in the water phantom, up to a depth of 30 cm. In order to model the situation of patients treated at the FRM II MEDAPP therapy beamline for salivary gland tumors, a human voxel phantom was implemented in GEANT4 and irradiated with the implemented MEDAPP neutron and photon spectra. The 3D dose distribution calculated inside the head of the phantom was similar to the depth dose curves in the water phantom, with some differences that are explained by differences in elementary composition. The lateral dose distribution was studied at various depths. The calculated cumulative dose volume histograms for the voxel phantom show the exposure of organs at risk surrounding the tumor.ConclusionsIn order to minimize the dose to healthy tissue, a conformal treatment is necessary. This can only be accomplished with the help of an advanced treatment planning system like the one developed here. Although all calculations were done for absorbed dose only, any biological dose weighting can be implemented easily, to take into account the increased radiobiological effectiveness of neutrons compared to photons.

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“…This filtering is the standard one and mandatory for medical applications (MEDAPP beam); the fast neutron flux is 3.2×10 8 s -1 cm -2 . Further details are given in [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The beam of fission neutrons at FRM II and its application in medicine, biology, and materials characterisation

Wagner

Breitkreutz

Bücherl

et al. 2009

2009 1st International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation, Measurement Methods and Their Applications

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The source of the fission neutron beam at the research reactor FRM II is a thermal-to-fast neutron converter. It consists of a pair of movable uranium plates which can be positioned in closest touch to beam tube SR10. The energy spectrum of the neutrons is essentially a Watt spectrum with a mean energy of 1.9 MeV. The beam is used for a great variety of applications, e.g., the structure of large samples can be displayed by radiography and tomography; electronic components are tested with respect to their radiation hardness to hadrons; biologists are interested in the specific effects of the high linear energy transfer of fission neutrons, and radiotherapists administer the fast reactor neutrons to malignant tumours. Results of all these fields are given briefly.

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The munich fission neutron therapy facility MEDAPP at the research reactor FRM II

Abstract: The clinical neutron irradiations of malignant tumors, which were performed at the former research reactor FRM until 2000, can be continued at FRM II under improved conditions. First patients were irradiated in June 2007.

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

Fission neutron therapy at FRM II: Indications and first results

Fission neutron therapy at FRM II: Indications and first results

First steps towards a fast-neutron therapy planning program

The beam of fission neutrons at FRM II and its application in medicine, biology, and materials characterisation

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