Authors: Jaishri Blakeley
Publish Date: 2008/05/29
Volume: 8, Issue: 3, Pages: 235-
Abstract
A prerequisite for the efficacy of any cancer drug is that it reaches the tumor in therapeutic concentrations This is difficult to accomplish in most systemic solid tumors because of factors such as variable hypoxia intratumoral pressure gradients and abnormal vasculature within the tumors In brain cancer the situation is complicated by the bloodbrain barrier BBB and bloodcerebrospinal fluid barrier which serve as physical and physiologic obstacles for delivery of drugs to the central nervous system Many approaches to overcome circumvent disrupt or manipulate the BBB to enhance delivery of drugs to brain tumors have been devised and are in active investigation These approaches include highdose intravenous chemotherapy intraarterial drug delivery local drug delivery via implanted polymers or catheters BBB disruption and biochemical modulation of drugs
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