A mixture of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVAL),dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO) and doxorubicin was precipitated from the 1-octanol to form membranes with particles bonded to each other. The drug release profile from the EVAL membrane was investigated for 96h. Results showed that the release behavior of doxorubicin was increasing with time and a two-step release behavior, a fast and a slow releasing pattern was revealed. It was also found that the number of cancer cells could be significantly decreased by released doxorubicin from the EVAL membrane. It is concluded that the EVAL copolymer could be an ideal encapsulating material for drugs to treat chronic diseases. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.