Determination of mitoxantrone with a fiber-optic device

A major problem in therapeutic use of the cytostatic agent mitoxantrone is the occurrence of side effects. Estimation of the drug concentration in or next to the tumor can lead to a reduction of the toxicity through accurate dose adjustment. In this paper a method for the determination of mitoxantrone by a fibre-optic device is described. The advantage of the system is the possibility of remote sensing at the working site of the cytostatic agent by a method that is simple in handling and sufficient in sensitivity. The measuring principle is based on the blue colour of mitoxantrone. The function of the device was tested byin vitro assays; linear calibration curves in a concentration range between 2 and 10g of mitoxantrone per ml of sample solution were obtained.