Direct delivery of medication into a brain tumor through multiple chronically implanted catheters.

A recurrent malignant glioma was treated with cisplatin delivered directly into the tumor. The drug was delivered via 68 small catheters distributed evenly throughout the tumor area. Each catheter was connected to an osmotic minipump that delivered 0.5 microliter of drug solution each hour for 10 days. There were no side effects from the catheter implantation, chemotherapy, or catheter removal. Although the chemotherapy halted progression of the tumor, it recurred, and the patient died 6 months after treatment.