Predictive value of MTT assay as an in vitro chemosensitivity testing for gastric cancer: one institution's experience.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the predictive clinical value of in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for directing chemosensitivity in patients with gastric cancer.


METHODS
Results of a total of 353 consecutive patients with gastric cancer treated with MTT-directed chemotherapy or physician's empirical chemotherapy from July 1997 to April 2003 were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively.


RESULTS
The overall 5-year survival rate of MTT-sensitive group (MSG) and control group (CG) was 47.5% and 45.1%, respectively. The results of subgroup analysis with Cox proportional-hazards model were favorable for the MSG-sensitive group. However, no statistically significant difference in survival rate was observed between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Individualized chemotherapy based on in vitro MTT assay is beneficial, but needs to be confirmed by further randomized controlled trials.
Wu
Bin
B
Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Sixth Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yishang Road 600, Shanghai 200223, China.
Zhu
Jin-Shui
JS
Zhang
Yi
Y
Shen
Wei-Ming
WM
Zhang
Qiang
Q
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004396:Coloring Agents; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue