1. BEAT_PRO Beam Tailoring and procedures optimization for clinical bnct
Silva Bortolussi
BNCT group, Pavia
CNS 5 - Lecce – 26/09/2016

2. THE CONTEXT
BEAT_PRO is a part of the project for a BNCT facility at CNAO. CNAO phase II will be the first centre in the world offering three types of experimental particle therapy.
INFN RFQ accelerator, coupled with a Be target, can deliver a suitable neutron beam for BNCT. Neutron beams have been tailored and tested by Treatment Planning simulation.

3. WITH RFQ

4. WITH RFQ

5. BEAM SHAPING ASSEMBLY Li + AlF3
Neutron spectrum for deep-seated tumours p+

6. BEAT_PRO Beam Tailoring Computational Dosimetry Treatment Planning
Development of new materials for BSA (i.e. solid AlF3)
Test of new material under neutron irradiation (activation + moderation performance)
Simulations validation
Computational Dosimetry
New formalism for mixed-field dosimetry
Treatment Planning
Patients with different kinds of tumours
Combination of BNCT and Charged Particle therapy
NEW MATERIAL FOR A COMPACT AND EFFICIENT BSA
NEW RADIOBIOLOGICAL MODELS AND BIOLOGIALLY WEIGHTED DOSE
NEW TARGETS FOR BCNT
BNCT + CARBON ION THERAPY

7. year I After discussion with referees:
WP1-1 production of solid aluminum fluoride WP1-2 test of activation and mechanical properties after irradiation WP1-3 preparation of a representative unit of BSA to be (LNL)

8. WP1-1 production of solid aluminum fluoride
Production of small quantities of solid AlF3 by syntherization at the Department of Chemistry of University of Pavia, studying the temperature/pressure combination. Possibility to adapt the device currently producing ceramic materials for this purpose.
Goal: good mechanical properties (resistance, uniformity) and high density → COMPACTNESS OF BSA
Test with AlF3 of different purities
chemical grade, intermediate and industrial
Test with addition of different % of Li
Goal: ONLY ONE MATERIAL FOR BSA

9. WP1-2 test of activation and mechanical properties after irradiation
Irradiation of the samples at the TRIGA reactor:
Thermal Column: thermal neutron irradiation for activation studies
Central Channel: fast neutron irradiation for test of radiation damages
Goal: investigate the influence of impurities on the security (activation) and the resistance of the material after the irradiation with high neutron/gamma fluences

10. WP1-3 preparation of a small prototype to be irradiated @CN (LNL)
Modification of the set-up of the syntherization device to obtain larger volumes of solid AlF3
Circuit for oil pressure, load cell, feedback mechanism, Cu-Be pistons
Production of graphite molds
Design of molds to allow a more uniform distribution of temperature. Rectangular molds.
Production of bricks to form a small prototype of some cm/side
Goal: production of a representative unit of moderator material for the final BSA. This prototype will be irradiated at the CN facility (LNL), with a neutron beam produced from a Be target. The simulations will be validated by the experimental double differential spectra.

11. MILESTONES
M1 Production of a small sample of solid AlF3, activation test and test of the mechanical properties after neutron irradiation. Production of a representative unit of moderator material for the final BSA – September 2017
M2 Calculation of treatment planning of different tumours relevant for BNCT and hadron therapy using the photon isoeffective model. Comparison of dose distribution obtained by BNCT and by carbon ion beams in some relevant examples – end of year 2
M3 Production of a small BSA prototype, with good mechanical properties and tested neutron interaction characteristics. Measurement with neutron telescope of the double differential spectrum emerging from the BSA – end year 3

12. GANTT M1 M3 M2 Y1Q1 Y1Q2 Y1Q3 Y2Q2 Y2Q3 Y3Q1 Y3Q2 Y3Q3 WP1-1 WP1-2
Y1Q1
Y1Q2
Y1Q3
Y2Q2
Y2Q3
Y3Q1
Y3Q2
Y3Q3
WP1-1
WP1-2
WP1-3
 M1
WP1-4
WP1-5
WP1-6 M3
WP2-1
WP2-2
WP2-3 M2
WP2-4
WP2-5

13. PEOPLE PAVIA Silva Bortolussi Saverio Altieri Ian Postuma
Silva Bortolussi
50%
Responsabile Nazionale
Saverio Altieri
Responsabile Locale
Ian Postuma
100%
Setareh Fatemi
Nicoletta Protti
70%
Valerio Vercesi
10%
Umberto Anselmi Tamburini
Cinzia Ferrari
Stefano Agosteo
30%
INFN Milano

14. FUNDS (INFN-CNSV) – YEAR 1
After discussion with referees:
Consumables kEu
AlF3 different purities
Set-up of device to produce solid AlF3
Travels kEu
Services kEu
Neutron irradiation
Total year kEu

15. FUNDS (EXTERNAL): NEU_BEAT

16. FUNDS (EXTERNAL): NEU_BEAT
NEU_BEAT wants to study different strategies to produce epithermal neutron beams for BNCT, using different targets, different proton energies and different moderating materials for the BSA. Moreover, it aims at establishing some benchmark procedures in the field of computational dosimetry and treatment planning. The possibility to produce a new material based on AlF3, is an important point also for NEU_BEAT, thus part of the funds assigned to NEU_BEAT can be used to complete the set-up of a prototype for the syntherization.

17. Conclusions
RELEVANCE of the 1° MILESTONE: possibility to obtain a SOLID and COMPACT material for the BSA. This would be of great interest also for other groups establishing accelerator-based facilities (i.e. in Okayama, Japan: BNCT facility with gantry).
AFTER the first milestone, BEAT_PRO wants to study the TREATMENT PLANNING OF REAL PATIENTS in collaboration with CNAO radiotherapists. For the first time, the possibility to COMBINE BNCT and carbon ion therapy will be studied from the point of view of combined dosimetry. NEW RADIOBIOLOGICAL MODELS will be applied to calculate dose in collaboration with CNEA- Argentina.

18. Fixed term Researcher
Unit of Pavia

19. Backup

20. WP1 – BSA (cont.) WP2 TPS + DOSIMETRY
WP1-4 measurements of neutron spectrum without moderator and with different thickness of moderator
WP1-5 simulation validation
WP1-6 construction of a small prototype of the complete BSA
WP2 TPS + DOSIMETRY
WP2-1 collection of a set of relevant clinical cases (PV+CNAO)
WP2-2 TP and feasibility study for different kinds of tumours (PV+CNEA)
WP2-3 Dose calculations with iso-effective model (PV+CNEA)
WP2-4 Comparison of dose distribution in relevant cases already treated with charged particles (PV+CNEA+CNAO)
WP2-5 Simulation of treatment BNCT + charged particles (PV+CNEA+CNAO)

21. COSTI