Polymethylmethacrylate-antiblastic drug compounds: an in vitro study assessing the cytotoxic effect in cancer cell lines--a new method for local chemotherapy of bone metastasis.

An in vitro study was performed assessing the pharmacologic properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)-antiblastic agent (doxorubicin and cisplatinum) mixtures in normal and neoplastic cell lines cultures. The study's aim was to analyze the polymerization capacity of PMMA in the presence of doxorubicin and cisplatinum, the release of drug from the mixture, the kinetics of release, and the effect of the released drugs in normal and neoplastic cell cultures. Our data show that even at high concentrations neither doxorubicin nor cisplatinum inhibit the polymerization of PMMA. Moreover, mixtures in vitro can release the antiblastic drug which maintains its pharmacologic activity on sensitive neoplastic cells. Therefore, the PMMA-antiblastic drug mixtures, along with current anti-cancer therapy (systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy), may provide better local control of the metastatic lesion and of some bone tumors.