International News about Neutron Therapy

June 2011

Dr Franz Wagner from the Munich Fission Neutron Therapy Facility at FRM II reports that the "reactor still has a break since October, but we are sure to start medical treatment again in August".

Franz also reports that with support of the dermatologists of TUM and LMU (the "other university"), indications will be extended to special melanoma cases (not primary). For these cases, the low energy of fission neutron has prominent advantages (highest RBE, lowest penetration). Hence, the team at FRM II are active and "shall continue for quite some years".

 

April 2010

Dr Andrea Wittig, known to many in the neutron therapy community as one of the principal clinicians on the neutron therapy programme at University Duisburg-Essen and as a significant force in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, is to present her Inaugural Lecture (Antrittsvorlesung) at Essen on April 16.

The lecture is entitled 'Perfektionierung der Präzision - Entwicklungsschritte der Bor-Neutroneinfangtherapie". Dr Wittig is now Frau Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Andrea Wittig.

 

October 2009

NEUDOS-11, a dosimetry meeting held in Cape Town in October 2009, included a one-day satellite meeting entitled 'Neutrons for Therapy' which proved a must for those interested in Fast Neutron Therapy and/or Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. Some thirty people from seven countries and representing five neutron therapy centres attended.

Details of the NEUDOS Conference can be found on its website. More information about the Neutrons for Therapy satellite is in an informal report available on request if you contact us.

 

January 2009

The Detroit Neutron Therapy Centre to reopen for clinical service

The latest news - a real positive for neutron therapy - is that the Detroit Neutron Therapy Centre is to reopen. More news on this as soon as it it is to hand.

 

December 2008

News from the Munich Fission Neutron Therapy Facility at FRM II

A paper published in Strahlentherapie und Onkologie (2008 - No 12 © Urban & Vogel) and authored by Franz Wagner, Peter Kneschauerk, Anton Kastenmüller, Birgit Loeper-Kabasakal, Severin Kampfer, Harald Breitkreutz, Wolfgang Waschkowski, Michael Molls and Winifred Petry reports real progress for neutron therapy.

The Technical University of Munich uses a research reactor to provide, inter alia, a fast neutron beam for medical use. This has replaced a service from RENT (the former research reactor FRM at Garching/Munich on which some 715 patients were treated with neutrons between 1985 and 2000. The new beam is in use for the treatment of slow growing and/or well differentiated tumours, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma and hypoxic tumours. Generally, all shallow tumour lesions like ear, nose and throat tumours, lymph node metastases or skin metastases from various cancer diseases, and chest wall metastases of breast cancer are considered suitable for neutron irradiation.

The paper reports that all safety measures and licensing requirements have been met; that the beam quality and dose distributions are established and, of course, as reported previously a first class clinical service has been delivered since June 2007. Field sizes of up to 30cm by 20cm sq (compared with 10 by 10 on the RENT facility)reduces the necessity of multiple abutting fields and thus avoids the problem of under and over dosage at field borders. The increased dose rate reduces irradiation times by a factor of 3.

 

13 October 2008

NIU to Get Millions to Continue Cancer Research - reported on wifr.com

Representative Bill Foster (IL-14) will announce that he has secured $6 million in funding for Northern Illinois University to continue cancer treatment and research in proton and neutron therapy.
A news conference will be held 14 October 2008 at DuPage National Technology Park in West Chicago, with NIU President John G. Peters at the construction site of the Northern Illinois Proton Treatment & Research Center.
The programs are dedicated to cancer treatment, developing the field of particle therapy, and research.
The conference will begin at 11 a.m. at 777 Discovery Drive, West Chicago, IL. .

 

16 July 2008

11th Neutron and Ion Dosimetry Symposium - October 2009

iThemba LABS (Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences) will be hosting the 11th Neutron and Ion Dosimetry Symposuim (NEUDOS-11) from 12-16 October 2009. The Symposium is being held under the auspices of the European Dosimetry Group (EURADOS). All previous Symposia in the series that began in 1972 have been held in Western Europe. Go to announcement

 

May 2008

Death of Dr Arlene Lennox

Arlene Lennox, 65 passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at her residence in Elburn. She was born December 3, 1942 in Cleveland, OH, the daughter of Richard and Mary Rose (nee Felber) Lennox. For twenty years she was a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis. She was united in marriage to David Eartly on May 14, 1977 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hammond, IN. Arlene had been the head of the Neutron Therapy Facility in Fermilab. She also played first violin in the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She is survived by her beloved husband, David Eartly of Elburn; her mother, Mary Rose Lennox of Parma Heights, OH; two brothers, Rand (Lani) Lennox of Strongsville, OH, and George (Cheryl) Lennox of Valleyview, OH; two sisters, Rita (Carlton) Langer of Russell, OH and Ruthanne Lennox of Sagamore Hills, OH; and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father, Richard Theodore Lennox. Memorials in Arlene's name may be directed to Support Our Aging Religious (SOAR) 900 Varnum St. NE, Washington, DC 20017.

It is worth reviewing two important articles by Dr Lennox which have been posted on this site (see Downloads and resources).