A feasibility study on a small electron linear accelerator-based beam shaping assembly for boron neutron capture therapy.

We aimed to explore the possibility of realizing a beam shaping assembly (BSA) driven by a 15-kW beam of 33-MeV electrons of an electron linear accelerator (LINAC) when a boronophenylalanine is adopted as a boron carrier. Simulation calculations were performed to design two types of BSAs driven by the small LINAC. The one was an experimental BSA, and the other was a high-performance BSA.