MED In the literature: open

Cellular-scale boron distribution in tumour and normal tissue

In plain words

The capture fragments travel only about a cell diameter, so the dose depends on whether the boron is inside each cell or outside it. Measurements of this in patients are lacking.

Precise statement

Measure the B-10 concentration distribution at 1 to 10 micron resolution in tumour, tumour margin and normal tissue for the clinical carriers (boronophenylalanine and sodium borocaptate), including the fraction of tumour cells with low uptake, and convert it into a microdosimetric specific-energy distribution for the $\alpha$ and Li-7 fragments of ranges about 9 and 5 micron. An answer is a measured distribution and the resulting ratio of cellular to bulk-averaged dose.

What would settle it

Neutron autoradiography or secondary-ion mass spectrometry on biopsy samples taken at treatment time, combined with track-level dose calculation.

See also