Clonogenic assay and in vitro chemosensitivity testing of human urologic malignancies

Over the past year, we have attempted to grow both primary and metastatic urologic malignancies using a recently developed human tumor cloning system. Formation of colonies in vitro occurred in 125 of 164 primary tumors (76%), including 34 of 47 uroepithelial cancer specimens, 45 of 50 renal cell cancer specimens, 24 of 33 prostatic cancer specimens, and 22 of 34 testicular cancer specimens. A large percentage of metastatic cancers have also been successfully cultured. Growth sufficient for chemosensitivity testing ranged from 43% of the uroepithelial cancers cultured to 64% of the renal cell cancer specimens cultured. When in vitro chemosensitivity testing was performed, the in vitro chemosensitivity results show a striking similarity to clinical response rates for the same agents used for these tumors. Overall the human tumor cloning system appears to be a reasonable model for the study of human urologic malignancies.