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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Viability Assays for Cells in Culture
Published on: January 20, 2014
Potential use of the adenosine triphosphate cell viability assay in endometrial cancer
Kar Fai Tam1, Tong Yow Ng, Percy Chi Kit Tsang
1Gynaecological Oncology Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. tamkfa@netvigator.com
Objective:
Adenosine triphosphate cell viability assay (ATP-CVA) was used previously to evaluate chemotherapy in uterine cancer cell lines. In this study, we have performed the ATP-CVA on endometrial cancer patients to study the feasibility of using ATP-CVA in endometrial cancer to determine the intrinsic chemosensitivity of the cytotoxic drugs.
Methods:
Thirty-three patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma who presented for a staging operation were recruited. Endometrial cancer samples were obtained at the time of operation. In vitro ATP-CVA and chemosensitivity testing was performed using cisplatin, carboplatin, paclitaxel, etoposide, doxorubicin, 4-epidoxorubicin, and topotecan.
Results:
Thirty-two of the 33 endometrial cancer samples were evaluable for SF50 (survival fraction at 50% of the peak plasma concentration [PPC]) using ATP-CVA. The median SF50 of carboplatin (0.33) was significantly less than the median SF50 of cisplatin (0.71), topotecan (0.93), paclitaxel (0.68), doxorubicin (1.0), etoposide (0.70), or 4-epidoxorubicin (0.88) (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P <.001).
Conclusion:
This study showed the feasibility of using the ATP-CVA in endometrial cancer to determine the intrinsic chemosensitivity of cytotoxic drugs.
