Implantable pumps for drug delivery to the brain.

This article reviews the role of implantable pumps in the treatment of CNS tumors. Systemic administration of chemotherapeutic agents has been associated with various problems, including adverse systemic effects and decreased concentration of the drug at the target site. Continuous infusion of chemotherapeutic agents with implantable pumps have been used in an attempt to overcome these problems. Various different chemotherapeutic agents have been used for this purpose, and catheters have been placed in the intraspinal, intraventricular and intratumoral locations.