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Embolization microspheres designed for local delivery of pharmaceutical agents into tissues. These devices typically consist of a polymeric matrix microsphere that releases a drug (e.g., chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin) directly into the tissues, either by diffusion of the drug from the matrix or, more frequently, by degradation of the polymer; some microspheres provide a combination of both mechanisms. Drug-delivery embolization microspheres are mainly intended to destroy cancer tumors by embolization of the vasculature nourishing the tumors and simultaneous local drug administration at therapeutic levels for extended periods without systemic exposure and with little effect on healthy neighboring tissues.
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