Taiwan and Japan are currently the only two countries in the world offering Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for cancer treatment. The BNCT Center at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) is the world's only team currently treating brain cancer with this cutting-edge technology. NTHU recently announced that Swiss author Lars Jaeger traveled to Taiwan at the end of July to receive treatment for a malignant brain tumor. After the treatment, Jaeger shared that he experienced no discomfort during BNCT, saying it felt like "a peaceful 30-minute nap."

Swiss Author Undergoes BNCT at NTHU: "Like a 30-Minute Nap"

According to NTHU, Jaeger was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) four years ago. Despite undergoing five craniotomies, Gamma Knife, and even carbon ion therapy, the tumor repeatedly recurred. After two years of researching new treatments and consulting with doctors in Switzerland and Japan, he ultimately chose Taiwan, saying:

"BNCT is my last hope, and NTHU has the most experienced team in the world."

After evaluation and treatment planning by Dr. Yi-Wei Chen, Director of the Particle Therapy Committee of the Taiwan Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, and radiation oncologist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Jaeger underwent a 90-minute intravenous infusion of boron-containing drugs to target diffuse cancer cells in the brain. He was then taken to a treatment room adjacent to the nuclear reactor for a 24-minute neutron beam irradiation.

How BNCT Works

BNCT involves the injection of boron-containing drugs that selectively accumulate in tumor cells. Once the drug has been absorbed by the cancer cells, a neutron beam is used to irradiate the tumor area. The boron atoms undergo nuclear fission, releasing highly destructive alpha particles and lithium nuclei, which self-destruct and kill the tumor cells. Because the boron compound specifically targets cancer cells, normal brain cells remain unaffected.

During the treatment, Jaeger's wife and daughter communicated with him via microphone. After the session, he reported no discomfort, likening it to a short, restful nap. Since BNCT typically requires only one session, Jaeger and his family returned to Switzerland afterward, hopeful for positive results.

BNCT Effective Against Brain and Head & Neck Cancers — Liver Cancer is Next Target

Dr. Tsung-Kuang Yeh, Director of the NTHU Nuclear Science and Technology Development Center, stated that the Tsing Hua Neutron Medical Irradiation System (THOR), developed for BNCT, received Taiwan's first-ever medical device license for this type of treatment in June — also the first globally. This opens the possibility for BNCT to become a routine frontline cancer therapy, bringing new hope to cancer patients worldwide.

Dr. Yeh explained the principle of BNCT, "It's like a Trojan Horse, where boron-containing drugs disguise themselves as sugar-coated poison, infiltrating cancer cells and detonating from within."

Because the destructive radius of the boron reaction is only about the size of a single cell, it avoids damaging nearby healthy tissues — making it ideal for treating diffuse or inoperable tumors, such as brain cancers.

So far, over a thousand patients with brain tumors, head and neck cancers, and melanoma have received BNCT at NTHU in collaboration with Taipei Veterans General Hospital. These patients include hundreds of international cases from the U.S., Australia, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.

Taiwan and Japan remain the only two countries in the world capable of offering BNCT, and NTHU is the only center globally providing BNCT specifically for brain cancer — serving as a final refuge for many terminal brain tumor patients.