[Cancer chemosensitivity test--from laboratory to clinic]

The endpoint of chemosensitivity test lies to extend the survivals of cancer patients using the adapted antitumor agents determined by the assay. Although the overall predictive accuracy of chemosensitivity test was 79% (117/149) for gastrointestinal carcinomas, no remarkable survival benedit was obtained even in the "true positive" cases. Two retrospective and one semi-prospective studies were conducted using MTT assay or histoculture drug response assay, indicating that these tests will be useful in evaluating the adoptive adjuvant cancer chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer by increasing the patients' survivals. The chemosensitivity test should be changed its position from laboratory to clinic through an acceptance of the assay as social medical insurance.