After-Pop! What is Boron Neutron Capture Therapy?

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