"Targeted therapy" is a term used for the treatment of tumours with cell-seeking and cell-killing substances that could be carried via the circulation to target cells. Research and development in this field is today a most important scientific social challenge which requires coordinated interdisciplinary efforts in modern biology, chemistry and physics. Of the more than one million patients who die from malignant disease each year in Europe, close to 50% of them are killed by disseminated cancer that cannot be successfully treated by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. In Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT), targeted therapy is being studied by neutron capture techniques. This was the theme of the international symposium in Zurich, in September 1996. That endeavour was scientifically motivated by the fact that a peculiar nuclear phenomenon "neutron capture", offers new versatile analytical and interventive tools in basic and applied research aiming at targeted therapy.

Table of Contents:
Biology in relation to treatment in malignant glioma (J. Hildebrand). Melanoma and nonmelanoma neutron capture therapy using gene therapy: overview (Y. Mishima). Neutron capture therapy 1996 (H. Fankhauser). Clinical Experiences. Boron neutron capture therapy for malignant glioma at Kyoto University reactor (I.K. Ono et al. ). The University of Tsukuba BNCT research group; first clinical experiences at JAERI (A. Matsumura et al. ). Radiation doses to brain under BNCT protocols at Brookhaven National Laboratory (J. Capala et al. ). A phase I/II trial of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for glioblastoma multiforme using intravenous boronophenylalanine-fructose complex and epithermal neutrons: early clinical results (E.H. Elowitz et al. ). Clinical follow-up of patients with melanoma of the extremity treated in a phase I boron neutron capture therapy protocol (P.M. Busse et al. ). What were important factors in patients treated by BNCT in Japan? (Y. Nakagawa et al. ). Experience of boron neutron capture therapy in Japan (K. Kanda). The clinical project at HFR Petten - a status report (W. Sauerwein). Therapy Planning. Optimization in neutron capture therapy planning (F.J. Wheeler). Some recent developments in treatment planning software and methodology for BNCT (D.W. Nigg et al. ). Comparison of TORT and MCNP dose calculations for BNCT treatment planning (D.T. Ingersoll et al. ). MacNCTPLAN: an improved Macintosh-based treatment planning program for boron neutron capture therapy (R.G. Zamenhof et al. ). The use of a photon beam model for the treatment planning of boron neutron capture therapy (C.P.J. Raaijmakers, E.L. Nottelman, B.J. Mijnheer). Use of the BNCT_RTPE/RRT_MC treatment planning system for BNCT irradiations of human patients at Petten (P. Watkins et al. ). Can epithermal boron neutron capture therapy treat primary and metastatic liver cancer? (B.J. Allen, S.A. Wallace , M.G.Carolan). A gamma-ray telescope for on-line reconstruction of low boron concentrations in a human head during BNCT (W. Verbakel, F. Stecher-Rasmussen). A neutron capture radiography facility at PSI (S. Teichmann, J.F. Crawford, B. Larsson). A treatment planning comparison of BPA- or BSH-based BNCT of malignant gliomas (J. Capala, J.A. Coderre, A.D. Chanana). Dosimetry. Dosimetry for BNCT in theory and practice (P. Watkins et al. ). On-line dosimetry for boron neutron capture therapy at the MIT Research Reactor (G. Solares et al. ). Depth dose curves of an epithermal neutron beam for BNCT (C.P.J. Raaijmakers, E.L. Nottelman, B.J. Mijnheer). An intercomparison of dosimetry techniques used in BNCT and BNCEFNT (C. Kota et al. ). A review of the dosimetry measurements for the Petten healthy tissue tolerance study (P. Watkins et al. ). Microdosimetric studies at the Harvard/MIT phase I clinical trial of boron neutron capture therapy (G.R. Solares, W.S. Kiger, III , R.G. Zamenhof).