Taiwanese researchers successfully treat breast cancer patients with Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) has achieved a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment, successfully employing Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to treat patients with recurrent triple-negative breast cancer. In collaboration with Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, the NTHU Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center has provided compassionate BNCT treatment to five patients.

Initial follow-up results are highly encouraging, indicating substantial tumor shrinkage and, crucially, minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues. This low-side-effect profile is a major advantage, particularly for triple-negative breast cancer, which presents significant treatment challenges due to its aggressive nature and limited therapeutic options.

Dr. Chen Yi-wei, director of Radiation Oncology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, explained that BNCT is a targeted radiation therapy characterized by its "low side effects and high tumor destruction efficacy." The treatment involves administering a boron-containing drug that selectively accumulates in tumor cells, followed by irradiation with a neutron beam. The subsequent capture of neutrons by boron atoms generates high-energy particles that effectively destroy cancer cells within a very localized area, approximately the size of a single cell.

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BNCT is a 'low side effect, high tumor destruction effect' targeted radiation therapy.

The success of BNCT hinges on the tumor's ability to absorb the boron drug and the quality and stability of the neutron beam. The NTHU team's extensive research in boron-containing drugs and neutron irradiation technology has been instrumental in advancing BNCT for breast cancer treatment. Previous studies by the NTHU and Taipei Veterans General Hospital teams on recurrent breast cancer and brain metastases, published in "Advances in Radiation Oncology," have also shown tumor shrinkage and improved patient symptoms.

NTHU's THOR, a pool-type research reactor, is Taiwan's only research reactor and has been operating safely for over six decades. The university's neutron irradiation system received medical device approval from Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2023. With over 700 cumulative BNCT irradiations, NTHU stands as a leading international medical facility for this therapy, attracting patients globally.

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The treatment efficacy of BNCT depends on whether the tumor can fully absorb the boron-containing drug, and the quality and stability of the neutron beam.