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Title: Biological weighting of the neutron capture mixed field
Plain: The patient receives a mixture of $\alpha$ particles, lithium nuclei, protons from nitrogen, fast neutrons and $\gamma$ rays, each with a different biological effect. How to add them into one effective dose is disputed.
Precise: Construct a model converting the absorbed dose components of a neutron capture field (B-10(n,alpha)Li-7 at about 2.3 MeV total kinetic energy, N-14(n,p) protons at 0.58 MeV, fast-neutron recoil protons and photons) into a photon-isoeffective dose that predicts tumour control and normal-tissue complication, replacing fixed compound and relative biological effectiveness factors. The model must include the boron microdistribution relative to the nucleus and dose-rate effects over treatment times of 30 to 60 min. An answer is a validated weighting scheme with stated uncertainty.
Settled by: Prospective comparison of predicted and observed responses across patients or animal models with measured boron microdistribution and beam spectra.
Kind: well-posed
Answer type: mechanism
References: (empty)
Literature status: contested
Status note: Fixed-factor and photon-isoeffective dose models give different prescriptions for the same treatment and both remain in use.
Posed since: (empty)