title: Tumor slice culture system to assess drug response of primary breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The high incidence of breast cancer has sparked the development of novel targeted and personalized therapies. Personalization of cancer treatment requires reliable prediction of chemotherapy responses in individual patients. Effective selection can prevent unnecessary treatment that would mainly result in the unwanted side effects of the therapy. This selection can be facilitated by characterization of individual tumors using robust and specific functional assays, which requires development of powerful ex vivo culture systems and procedures to analyze the response to treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We optimized culture methods for primary breast tumor samples that allowed propagation of tissue ex vivo. We combined several tissue culture strategies, including defined tissue slicing technology, growth medium optimization and use of a rotating platform to increase nutrient exchange.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We could maintain tissue cultures for at least 7 days without losing tissue morphology, viability or cell proliferation. We also developed methods to determine the cytotoxic response of individual tumors to the chemotherapeutic treatment FAC (5-FU, Adriamycin [Doxorubicin] and Cyclophosphamide). Using this tool we designated tumors as sensitive or resistant and distinguished a clinically proven resistant tumor from other tumors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method defines conditions that allow ex vivo testing of individual tumor responses to anti-cancer drugs and therefore might improve personalization of breast cancer treatment.
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. k.naipal@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Kishan A T
authors: KA
authors: Naipal
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. n.verkaik@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Nicole S
authors: NS
authors: Verkaik
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. h.sanchezgonzalez@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Humberto
authors: H
authors: Sánchez
authors: Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. c.h.m.vandeurzen@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Carolien H M
authors: CH
authors: van Deurzen
authors: Department of Pathology, Maasstad Hospital, Maasstadweg 21, Rotterdam, 3079 DZ, The Netherlands. BakkerMA@maasstadziekenhuis.nl.
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: den Bakker
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. j.hoeijmakers@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Jan H J
authors: JH
authors: Hoeijmakers
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. r.kanaar@erasmusmc.nl.|Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. r.kanaar@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Kanaar
authors: Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, Leiden, 2300 RC, The Netherlands. M.P.G.Vreeswijk@lumc.nl.
authors: Maaike P G
authors: MP
authors: Vreeswijk
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. a.jager@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Agnes
authors: A
authors: Jager
authors: Department of Genetics, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO box 2040, Rotterdam, 3000CA, The Netherlands. d.vangent@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: Dik C
authors: DC
authors: van Gent
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D057285:Precision Medicine; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil