ABSTRACT
This work provides the basis of a methodology to build a deterministic model for the spatial distribution of the (10)B(n,alpha)(7)Li reaction rate in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), as a function of space variables, boron concentration and beam incidence angle in homogeneous isotropic environments but also in different heterogeneous environments. Building the analytic function in a simple homogeneous environment with numerical methods leads to a mathematical formulation of the (10)B(n,alpha)(7)Li reactions rate.
Subject(s)
Borates/therapeutic use , Boron Neutron Capture Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Lithium Compounds/therapeutic use , Radiation-Sensitizing Agents/therapeutic use , Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted/statistics & numerical data , Boron/therapeutic use , Humans , Isotopes/therapeutic use , Models, Statistical , Phantoms, Imaging/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
The Neyman type A distribution, a generalised, 'contagious' Poisson distribution, finds application in a number of disciplines such as biology, physics and economy. In radiation biology, it best describes the distribution of chromosomal aberrations in cells that were exposed to neutrons, alpha radiations or heavy ions. Intriguingly, no method has been developed for the calculation of confidence limits (CLs) of Neyman type A-distributed events. Here, an algorithm to calculate the 95% CL of Neyman type A-distributed events is presented. Although it has been developed in response to the requirements of radiation biology, it can find application in other fields of research. The algorithm has been implemented in a PC-based computer program that can be downloaded, free of charge, from www.pu.kielce.pl/ibiol/neta.
