Development of a new in vivo model for head and neck cancer

We have developed an improved model for studying in vivo nonsurgical treatment of head and neck cancer. In situ oral cavity implantation has been documented, but its natural history is not defined. In light of this, an improved model is described. Forty-two nude mice had tumor cells from one of two established laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines implanted into the floor of the mouth. The tumor mass was measured and followed. When the tumor burden was great enough to cause cachexia, the animals were killed and submitted for microscopic examination. Pulmonary metastases were noted in 44%, bone invasion in 80%, angioinvasion in 76%, and soft tissue invasion in 96% of the animals. Growth characteristics in the head and neck have not been documented in previous models. Our model not only exhibits the locally invasive activity typically associated with malignant neoplasms, but also closely parallels the results of clinical studies examining the percent of end stage patients and autopsies with pulmonary metastases. Therefore, this model should open the way for more meaningful in vivo studies of nonsurgical treatment modalities for both local and metastatic tumor foci in head and neck cancer.