title: Preoperative in vitro chemosensitivity test of esophageal cancer with endoscopic specimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From January 1990 to June 1991, the authors tested in vitro chemosensitivity before surgery with endoscopic biopsy specimens from 23 patients with intrathoracic esophageal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors tested eight anticancer agents using the dye exclusion method, and all 23 patients received chemotherapy with the most sensitive three drugs according to the results of the chemosensitivity test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients (43.5%) had a tumor reduction of more than 50% on radiologic studies, and 4 patients (17.4%) had a good histologic effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chemosensitivity test is useful in selecting preoperative chemotherapeutic agents for patients with esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of First Surgery, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Torigoe
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004724:Endoscopy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged