National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) announced yesterday its collaboration with Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital to launch the world’s first human trial using Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to treat liver cancer patients. This offers new hope for those suffering from diffuse liver tumors and recurrent multiple liver cancers.
Rong-Jiun Sheu, Director of the Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center at NTHU, explained that BNCT is a form of targeted radiation therapy. First, a boron-containing drug is injected as a targeting agent. After the drug accumulates in the tumor tissue, a neutron beam is used to irradiate the area. The boron atoms are then induced to undergo nuclear fission, releasing alpha particles and lithium nuclei that destroy the cancer cells, while leaving surrounding healthy cells unharmed.
After converting its research-based atomic reactor for medical use, NTHU has successfully treated more than 500 patients with brain tumors and head and neck cancers, including international patients from the U.S., Russia, Australia, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and South Korea. Many of these patients were suffering from aggressive and terminal brain tumors.
Professor Fong-In Chou, known as the "Mother of BNCT," has led her team at NTHU’s Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center to further develop boron-containing drugs that are highly absorbed by liver tumors. In partnership with Chung-Chu Chen, Vice President of Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital, and radiation oncologist Wen-Ke Chen, the team will soon apply this cutting-edge, precision therapy to liver cancer patients in Taiwan. Liver cancer, often referred to as the "national disease," is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the country.
NTHU President Weiyuan John Kao emphasized that applying BNCT to liver cancer represents a major breakthrough. With approximately 8,000 liver cancer deaths annually in Taiwan, this collaboration aims to gradually reduce that number and bring new hope to patients who have lost all other treatment options.
Shun-Long Weng, President of Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital, noted that liver cancer often recurs because of pre-existing liver dysfunction. Even after tumor removal, chronic conditions such as hepatitis B and C, or alcohol-related hepatitis, remain as high-risk factors for recurrence. Current treatment methods, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, still face significant limitations.
Fong-In Chou highlighted the difficulty in developing boron-containing drugs that are preferentially absorbed by liver cancer cells while being minimally absorbed by normal cells. The team’s drug, "Boroncide," has successfully passed both small- and large-animal trials and is now being submitted for approval from Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare to be used in clinical trials for recurrent liver cancer patients, with approval expected within three months.
Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Taiwan. Due to the liver’s relatively low nerve density, it is known as the "silent organ," meaning liver cancer is often not diagnosed until the disease has reached an advanced stage. BNCT’s targeted approach uses drugs to track cancer cells and precisely destroy tumors without harming surrounding healthy tissue. This method is particularly suited for treating multifocal or diffuse liver tumors and highly vascularized cancerous tissues.
Wen-Ke Chen, a physician at Mackay Memorial, stated that traditional treatments like surgery and embolization often have limited effectiveness in treating liver cancer, especially diffuse types, which are difficult to eliminate even with radiation therapy. The introduction of BNCT offers a new option for liver cancer patients. One patient, a middle-aged woman facing a recurrence of liver cancer with tumor markers reaching 7,000, had exhausted all available treatments. After hearing about BNCT, she regained hope and eagerly awaits this new treatment option.
Resource (mandarin): 首例人體試驗！清大攜新竹馬偕以「硼中子捕獲技術」治療肝癌
