In vitro chemotherapy sensitivity patterns of human colon carcinoma continuous cell lines

The cells obtained from four established human colon carcinoma cell lines were cultured in soft agar in the presence of eight chemotherapeutic agents that have been used clinically in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. 5-Fluorouracil, mitomycin C, adriamycin, and cis-platinum were highly cytotoxic in vitro at the concentrations employed. These findings were in marked contrast to in vitro chemotherapy sensitivity patterns previously reported by us for a large series of primary human colorectal carcinomas cultured in soft agar. The possible reasons behind these differences are discussed.