There are limited treatment options for patients with recurrent brain tumours, known as glioblastomas, and head and neck cancers.
Glioblastomas are both radio-resistant and highly infiltrating and, while their incidence is low, poor outcomes mean that they have been calculated to cause more years of life loss than other any single tumour type. In addition, for head and neck cancers, conventional treatment often cannot be repeated due to high toxicity.
Our pioneering research, led by Professor Stuart Green, Dr Malcolm Scott and Professor Garth Cruickshank, has enabled Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to become a viable treatment option for the most aggressive cancers.
Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oxford, and using facilities at leading Institutions in the US and Sweden, our leading experts were able to develop technologies and techniques that had previously prohibited the potential of BNCT to treat otherwise incurable cancers.
Our research has had impact on global commerce, the economy and patient health. We have directly contributed to the commercial success of a medical equipment company in Japan, enabling it to develop a multi-million pound facility. Furthermore, the Japan Medical Devices Regulatory has also approved BNCT as a treatment option for recurrent head and neck cancers. Without the pioneering work by the University of Birmingham, BNCT would not now be entering the clinical mainstream.