. It is stated that difficulty in obtaining and maintaining intravenous access for repeated administration of antineoplastic agents is a common complication of cancer therapy. Cancer patients cite the """"""""probing"""""""" to locate veins as the most significant detriment to their Quality of Life during cancer treatment. Intraosseous (i.o.) administration, using the Osteoport (an implanted proprietary intraosseous device) is proposed as a safer alternative to intravenous administration for the administration of such agents.This research will evaluate i.o. administration of doxorubicin (DOX) through the Osteoport in an animal model. DOX has been chosen as representative of those antineoplastic agents which are commonly associated with complications following intravenous administration. The comparative pharmacokinetics of DOX through the Osteoport versus standard intravenous administration will be determined by HPLC on sequential blood samples obtained after agent administration. After repeated i.o. administration, animals will be humanely sacrificed for tissue collection and histology to evaluate local pathology associated with i.o. administration of this agent. Demonstration of the suitability of this device as a route of administration for DOX will direct the commercialization of the Osteoport in the cancer chemotherapy marketplace. It is stated that the number of patients who could benefit from this technology exceeds 200,000 per year in the United States.
