Clinical evaluation of chemosensitivity testing for patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using collagen gel droplet embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST).
OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we prospectively evaluated the clinical feasibility and efficacy of collagen gel droplet embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST) in unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without previous treatment.


METHODS
Eighty patients with unresectable NSCLC, aged less than 81 years old, PS 0-1, and with evaluable tumor lesions, entered the study. If the patient had CD-DST active drugs, more than three cycles of chemotherapy containing these drugs were administered. If the patient did not have CD-DST active drugs, the patient could choose any treatment including best supportive care.


RESULTS
Of the 80 patients in this study, CD-DST yielded results successfully in 49 patients (61.3%). CD-DST active drugs were present in 22 patients, and significantly more female patients had in vitro active anticancer agents than male (P=0.0008). All of the patients with CD-DST active agents received chemotherapy including these agents. In these patients, the response rate was 72.7%, and median survival was 15.0 months. In the patients without CD-DST active agents, 11 patients received standard, empirical chemotherapy. In these patients, response rate was 0%, and median survival was 6.0 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show that CD-DST is capable of selecting the responders and the respective optimal regimens, and also delineating the patients less likely benefit from treatment.
Kawamura
Masafumi
M
Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan. kawamura@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
Gika
Masatoshi
M
Abiko
Tomohiro
T
Inoue
Yoshimasa
Y
Oyama
Takahiko
T
Izumi
Yotaro
Y
Kobayashi
Hisayuki
H
Kobayashi
Koichi
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
D005782:Gels; D003094:Collagen