[Study on chemosensitivity test of urogenital tumors by ATP assay]

In order to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy against urogenital cancers, we developed a chemosensitivity test by measuring intracellular ATP in cancer cells. In the fundamental experiments using HeLa cells, a significant correlation was observed between intracellular ATP levels and numbers of viable cells. We employed 8 drugs, ADM, VCR, VLB, MTX, 5-FU, PEP, MMC, and CDDP for the assay Thirty-four renal tumors, 68 urothelial tumors and 19 testicular tumors were tested, and evaluable results were obtained in 25 specimens of renal tumors (76%) 55 specimens of urothelial tumors (80%) and 17 specimens of testicular tumors (98%). According to the ATP assay, renal tumors were sensitive to ADM and MMC, urothelial tumors to ADM, MMC and CDDP and testicular tumors to ADM and MMC. The ATP assay to determine the chemosensitivity to clinical specimens was sensitive and efficient. Thus the ATP assay could be applied for selection of anticancer drugs in the chemotherapy of urogenital cancers.