Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for Cancer: Future Prospects in Indonesia

Bagaswoto Poedjomartono (Department of Radiology, Radionuclear Services, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Jalan Kesehatan No. 1, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia)
Hanif Afkari (Department of Radiology, Radionuclear Services, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia)
Edy Meiyanto (Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gajah Mada, Jalan Sekip Utara, Sendowo, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia)
Alan Bangun (Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Jalan Kesehatan No. 1, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia Faculty of Medicine, Diponegoro University, Semarang 50275, Indonesia)
Yohanes Sardjono (Center of Accelerator Science and Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia)

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development
Vol. 35 No. 3 (2018): Developments in Nuclear Techniques in the Treatment of Cancer

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a form of cancer therapy based on the interaction of low-energy thermal neutrons and boron-10 (10-B) to produce alpha radiation from He-4 and Li-7 with a high linear energy transfer. A beam of neutrons irradiates a boron drug injected into the tumor, resulting in the boron-injected cancer cells receiving a lethal dose of radiation with the surrounding, healthy cells being minimally affected. Two boron drugs have been used clinically in BNCT, boron sodium captate (BSH) and borophenylalanine (BPA), while a third, pentagamaboronon-0 (PGB-0), is currently under development in the Faculty of Pharmacy of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. In Indonesia, there has been a growing interest in the study and use of BNCT to treat cancer, as this method is expected to be safer and more effective than traditional cancer treatment methods.