External-beam neutron therapy: the first domestic medical unit

Modern radiotherapy, employing traditional linear accelerators, has nearly reached its apex in terms of efficacy in treating oncological diseases. The challenge before researchers in the field of implementing cutting-edge technologies pertains to the utilization of fundamentally different therapeutic approaches, one of which is remote neutron therapy. Its salient advantages include an increased relative biological effectiveness of radiation, while the complexities of implementing specific technological solutions encompass forming a beam of the required geometry and spectral characteristics. The article delineates the key milestones in the development of the usage of fast neutron beams for remote radiotherapy, a general description of the neutron therapy complex and its primary structural components is also presented. These are currently being developed as an innovative, mass-producible medical project.