Oncology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Oncology, including details on cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

Pitfalls of the application of microdialysis in clinical oncology: controversial findings with docetaxel.

Loos WJ, Zamboni WC, Engels FK, de Bruijn P, Lam MH, de Wit R, Verweij J, Wiemer EA

Erasmus MC, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, University Medical Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. w.loos@erasmusmc.nl

Microdialysis is a novel and minimally invasive sampling technique, based on the diffusion of analytes from the interstitial compartment through a semi-permeable membrane, and enables direct assessment of tissue disposition and penetration of drugs. Variable antitumor responses may be associated with differences in tumor vascularity, capillary permeability or tumor interstitial pressure resulting in variable delivery of anticancer agents. In preparation of pharmacokinetic studies, aimed at measuring docetaxel concentrations in healthy and malignant tissues in vivo, in pre-clinical as well as clinical studies, in vitro recovery experiments were performed. In contrast to published data, the recovery experiments suggest that docetaxel has a very low recovery as a result of non-specific binding to currently available microdialysis catheters. Here we discuss our findings with docetaxel in a historical perspective and we report on our experience using polysorbate 80 to eliminate the non-specific binding and its effects on the recovery of docetaxel.

Published 9 October 2007 in J Pharm Biomed Anal, 45(2): 288-94.
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