The potential of the nude mouse xenograft model for the study of head and neck cancer.
A total of 130 human head and neck cancers was transplanted subcutaneously in athymic nude mice in order to obtain a series of xenografts. All tumours were derived from previously untreated patients. Initial growth, which was histopathologically confirmed, was observed in 34 cases (26.1%). Serial passages were successful in 12 of 23 cases (52.1%). Of 117 squamous cell carcinomas, 30 (25.9%) showed initial take in the mice. Poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas tend to grow more readily than moderately differentiated and well-differentiated ones. Material from metastatic lymph nodes tends to show a higher take than material from primary tumours. In general the tumour-volume doubling time decreased to 4-6 days when the number of passages increased. Histology of the xenografted tumours showed that transplantation had caused no major changes. No macro-, or microscopic signs of metastasis were observed in any of the mice. The implications of this model for fundamental and applied research are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous