Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
Feasibility assessment of a chemoresponse assay to predict pathologic response in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast
Zhibao Mi1, Frankie A Holmes, Beth Hellerstedt
1Precision Therapeutics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA 15203, USA. zmi@ptilabs.com
Background:
For chemosensitivity and resistance assays to be clinically useful in predicting patient outcome, they should require small amounts of tissue and be highly reproducible and reliable.
Patients And Methods:
Expanded tumor cells from transcutaneous biopsies of breast lesions (n=62) were tested for chemoresponse using the cell-based ChemoFx assay. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was determined on a subset of patients (n=34). Assay score and pCR were determined independently in a blinded manner. Logistic regression models were used to select predictors for response.
Results:
Tumor cells were successfully isolated from 83.9% of patients. Chemoresponse profiles were robust and reproducible with coefficient of variance of <3%. In a limited initial patient outcome correlation, assay score of docetaxel/capecitabine significantly predicted pCR; the cross-validated model was 75% accurate.
Conclusion:
It is feasible to assess the chemoresponsiveness of small breast lesions using the ChemoFx assay to assist in choosing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients.
