Interstitial and intracavity <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> sources have been used to treat a number of tumor types with encouraging results. In particular these tumors include a variety of cervical, head-and-neck, and oral-cavity cancers and possible malignant gliomas. As a neutron source, <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> offers certain theoretical advantages over photon therapy (i.e., in treating tumors with significant hypoxic or necrotic components). With the recent availability of <tex-math>${}^{10}{\rm B}\text{-}{\rm la}\text{-beled}$</tex-math> tumor-seeking compounds, the usefulness of <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> may be further improved by augmenting the <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> dose to the tumor with an additional dose due to the fission (following thermal neutron capture) of10 B located in the tumor itself. While the high mean neutron energy permits <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> to deliver a high-LET, low-OER dose to the tumor on a macroscopic scale, thermalization of neutrons followed by10 B capture may augment this dose at the cellular level if adequate loading of tumor cells with10 B is possible. This paper presents results of a Monte Carlo simulation study investigating the dosimetric characteristics of linear <tex-math>${}^{252}{\rm Cf}$</tex-math> sources both with and without the quantitative increase in tumor dose possible with the addition of10 B. Results are displayed in the form of "along and away" tables and dose profiles in a water phantom. Comparisons of Monte Carlo results with experimental and analytical dosimetry data available in the literature are also presented.

This content is only available as a PDF.