Accuracy of the subrenal capsule xenograft assay in predicting the clinical growth and chemosensitivity of human squamous head and neck carcinomas.
Thirty-seven of 54 human squamous head and neck carcinomas were successfully grown as first transplant generation xenografts under the kidney capsule of conventional mice immunosuppressed by daily treatment with 60 mg/kg of cyclosporine. Of the 18 different tumors evaluated for chemosensitivity, 39% responded to cis-platinum, 19% to 5-fluorouracil, 33% to methotrexate, and 40% to Cis-Pt/5Fu. In comparing the assay results in nine patients who received the same chemotherapeutic drugs, two of three patients responded to their drug with xenograft shrinkage noted, whereas four of six patients who did not respond had tumor growth in the mouse. It is hoped that this model will become useful for new drug testing and, in certain cases, for selection of chemotherapy for patients with refractory tumors.
Division of Otolaryngology, Albany Medical College, New York 11208.
S M
SM
Parnes
J A
JA
Bennett
R C
RC
Deconti
P
P
Sagerman
D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013370:Subrenal Capsule Assay
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil