V79 survival following simultaneous or sequential irradiation by 15-MeV neutrons and 60Co photons.

A unique tandem source irradiation facility, composed of an intense d-T neutron source and a 60Co teletherapy unit, was used to investigate biological responses for different neutron/photon configurations. V79 Chinese hamster cells, attached as monolayers in log-phase growth, were irradiated at 37 degrees C by either 14.8-MeV neutrons, 60Co, or a mixture of 40% neutrons and 60% photons in simultaneous or sequential application. Measurements of cell survival indicate an increased effectiveness in cell killing for simultaneously administered neutrons and photons compared to that measured or predicted for sequentially applied beam modalities. An understanding of the magnitude of these interactive effects is important both for calculating accurate effective doses for neutron radiotherapy of deep-seated tumors, for which the photon component is appreciable, and for determination of environmental hazards to people occupationally exposed to mixtures of photons and neutrons.