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Pharmacokinetic Properties of Anticancer Agents for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Tumors: Update of the Literature

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Abstract

Despite significant improvement in outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors over the past 10 years, patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors continue to have a poor prognosis. A primary reason for this is the inability of many chemotherapeutic drugs to penetrate into the brain and brain tumors at concentrations high enough to exert an antitumor effect because of unique barriers and efflux transporters. Several studies have been published recently examining the central nervous system pharmacokinetics of various anticancer drugs in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. To summarize recent advances in the field, this review critically presents studies published within the last 9 years examining brain and cerebrospinal fluid penetration of clinically available anticancer agents for patients with central nervous system tumors.

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Acknowledgments

Supported in part by Grants CA154619 and CA21765 from the National Cancer Institute, The Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN), The V Foundation, and by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), USA.

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Correspondence to Clinton F. Stewart.

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M. O. Jacus and V. M. Daryani contributed equally to this work.

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Jacus, M.O., Daryani, V.M., Harstead, K.E. et al. Pharmacokinetic Properties of Anticancer Agents for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Tumors: Update of the Literature. Clin Pharmacokinet 55, 297–311 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40262-015-0319-6

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