Evaluation of SCCVII tumor cell survival in clamped and non-clamped solid tumors exposed to carbon-ion beams in comparison to X-rays

Hirayama, Ryoichi*; Uzawa, Akiko*; Takase, Nobuhiro*; Matsumoto, Yoshitaka*; Noguchi, Miho; Koda, Kana*; Ozaki, Masakuni*; Yamashita, Kei*; Li, H.*; Kase, Yuki*; Matsufuji, Naruhiro*; Koike, Sachiko*; Masunaga, Shinichiro*; Ando, Koichi*; Okayasu, Ryuichi*; Furusawa, Yoshiya*

The aim of this study was to measure the RBE (relative biological effectiveness) and OER (oxygen enhancement ratio) for survival of cells within implanted solid tumors following exposure to 290 MeV/nucleon carbon-ion beams or X-rays. Squamous cell carcinoma cells (SCCVII) were transplanted into the right hindlegs of syngeneic C3H male mice. Irradiation with either carbon-ion beams with a 6-cm spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP, at 46 and 80 keV/m) or X-rays was delivered to 5-mm or less diameter tumors. We defined three different oxygen statuses of the irradiated cells. Hypoxic and normoxic conditions in tumors were produced by clamping or not clamping the leg to avoid blood flow. The RBE values increased with increasing LET in SOBP beams. The OER values of carbon-ion irradiated samples were small in comparison to those of X-ray irradiated samples. However, no significant changes of the OER at proximal and distal positions within the SOBP carbon-ion beams were observed. To conclude, we found that the RBE values for cell survival increased with increasing LET and that the OER values changed little with increasing LET within the SOBP carbon-ion beams.