[In vitro drug-sensitivity test using human tumor clonogenic assay in lung cancer patients]

It would be helpful for successful chemotherapy in cancer patients if a drug-sensitivity test in vitro could predict the exact response of an individual patient's tumor. We have investigated a drug-sensitivity test using human tumor clonogenic assay since 1980. In this paper, results obtained in lung cancer patients are discussed. Specimens for testing were obtained from primary tumor, metastatic mass, malignant pleural and pericardial effusion, and affected bone marrow. Drugs tested in this study were adriamycin, aclarubicin , THP-adriamycin, mitoxantrone, mitomycin C, cis-platinum, 40497 S (an active compound derived from ifosfamide), and methotrexate. Out of 88 specimens tested, 41 (47%) successfully yielded more than 30 colonies per control dish, and were able to evaluate drug-sensitivity. Of those, 32 instances were valid for examination in an in vitro-in vivo association. As a result, 3 were in vitro sensitive-in vivo sensitive, 2 were in vitro sensitive-in vivo resistant, and 27 were in vitro resistant-in vivo resistant. Accordingly, the true positive rate was 60%, and the true negative rate was 100%. In summary, the human tumor clonogenic assay appeared to be an excellent method for testing drug-sensitivity for an individual patient with lung cancer.