Convection Enhanced Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Brain Gliomas

Abstract

Malignant brain gliomas are almost always fatal, with a five year survival rate of only 3%. This is due in part to the difficulty of treating tumors chemically or surgically. They are often deep within the brain, where drugs cannot easily diffusive due to the blood-brain barrier and where surgery could be deadly. Emerging techniques for improved treatment include direct infusion of treatment drugs, like Paclitaxel, into the tumor in a procedure known as convection-enhanced drug delivery. These procedures require days of carefully monitored infusion to ensure tumor destruction while preserving surrounding tissue. To better understand the drug distribution and dosing options for different tumor sizes without dangerous medical tests, we have modeled the drug distribution within the tumor and surrounding tissue computationally. The model shows drug distributions consistent with current clinical results after a five day procedure. This model could now be used to better define dosing levels and procedure parameters to maximize tumor removal while preserving healthy tissue in individually unique cases