Chemosensitivity testing in gynecologic oncology--dream or reality?

Cell culture and animal models have played an essential role in the research of new principles of therapy. Many methods for the individualized testing of therapy sensitivity and resistance have been developed, for example, the clonogenic assay. Presently, the ATP-TCA is commercially available as a testing kit. This review gives an overview of the tumor samples that were tested in the oncologic laboratory in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Munich Grosshadern between 1993 and 2001. All target parameters show a clear trend in favor of sequential, dose-intensified Epirubicin/Paclitaxel therapy. If this trend remains valid for the total number of patients, a significant impact of this new principle of therapy can be expected. By individualized planning of therapy with ATP-TCA testing, therapy in the individual patient could already be performed by the examination of sensitivity in the preoperative biopsy specimen.