ABSTRACT
The main goal in the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of any disease state is relatively simple: to ensure drug delivery to its specific site of action in order to elicit a desired clinical response with minimization of adverse effects. Although the goal of treatment is straightforward, its realization is much more complex. This is due to the fact that the systemic administration of chemotherapeutic agents leads to the diffuse delivery of these agents to vast regions throughout the body in attempt to reach the targeted site(s) of action. If one considers the reverse, direct administration of the drug to a targeted area in the body, the agent must ultimately diffuse throughout the systemic circulation, to some degree, in order to be eliminated. Drug concentration at the intended target site(s) of action may not be easily quantified and exposure of unintended sites will potentially lead to adverse effects. The application of pharmacokinetic principles aids the clinician in determining the necessary dose to achieve drug concentrations within a specific range to maximize therapeutic effect while minimizing adverse effects.
