ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Radiation Oncology
Clinical Outcomes of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for Unresectable Oral Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Yuki Yoshino1,2*
Satoshi Takeno1Teruhito Aihara3Naonori Hu4,5Akinori Sasaki4Kazuhiko Akita4Yasukazu Kanai6Mai Nojiri4Tsuyoshi Jinnin7
Tetsuya Terada7Shinichi Haginomori7Keiji Nihei1Koji Ono6- 1Kansai BNCT Medical Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Ika Yakka Daigaku, Takatsuki, Japan
- 2Department of Radiology, Kyoto Furitsu Ika Daigaku, Kyoto, Japan
- 3Kansai BNCT Medical Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka Ika Yakka Daigaku, Takatsuki, Japan
- 4Kansai BNCT Medical Center, Osaka Ika Yakka Daigaku, Takatsuki, Japan
- 5Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto Daigaku, Kyoto, Japan
- 6Kansai BNCT Medical Center, BNCT Joint Clinical Institute, Osaka Ika Yakka Daigaku, Takatsuki, Japan
- 7Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka Ika Yakka Daigaku, Takatsuki, Japan
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Background: Surgery is the standard treatment for oral cancer but often causes functional and cosmetic problems, and reoperation is difficult. Radiotherapy (RT) is less effective, with reirradiation limited by normal tissue tolerance and salvage surgery after RT carrying high complication risks. Systemic therapy is used for local recurrence but yields poor outcomes, underscoring the need for better options. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an established method that selectively delivers high tumor doses. This study evaluated BNCT efficacy and safety in unresectable oral cancers not amenable to definitive RT. Methods: This retrospective study included oral cancer patients treated with BNCT between June 2020 and June 2024 under the Japanese public health insurance system. Primary endpoints were best treatment response and incidence of adverse events (AEs), particularly severe oral mucositis (Grade ≥ 3 by Common Terminology Criteria for AEs version 5). Predictors of severe oral mucositis were also examined. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), locoregional control (LRC), and progression free survival (PFS). Results: Among 74 patients (follow-up period ≥3 months), the majority (73%) had recurrent cancer. The complete response rate was 50%. The major severe acute AE was
Keywords: Advanced Stage, Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), efficacy and safety, oral cancer, recurrent, reirradiation, Unresectable
Received: 30 Oct 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Yoshino, Takeno, Aihara, Hu, Sasaki, Akita, Kanai, Nojiri, Jinnin, Terada, Haginomori, Nihei and Ono. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yuki Yoshino
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