Clinical Evaluation on Chemosensitivity Testing of Pulmonary and Ovarian Cancers by MTT Assay in Agar Culture

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical application of chemosensitivity testing to fresh human tumor cells by MTT assay in agar culture. MethodsThe human tumor stem cell colony assay (HTSCA) and MTT assay in agar culture were used simultaneously for in vitro drug sensitivity testing of fresh lung cancer specimens, the correlation between the assayed results was analyzed. Relationship between in vitro chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin (DDP) measured by MTT assay in agar culture and clinical efficacy of patients with ovarian cancer was observed retrospectively. Effects of chemosensitivity testing (MTT assay) results for guidance of clinical choice in efficient chemotherapeutic agents on the clinical responses of patients with lung cancer were observed prospectively.Results① The total concordance rate of results in MMT assay with those of HTSCA was 92.8%(117/126).②18 out of 26 ovarian cancer specimens were sensitive to DDP in vitro, 16 cases had clinical remission, and 8 cases resistant to DDP showed no clinical response. The total concordance rate was 92%(24/26). ③The clinical remission (CR+PR) rate of patients with lung cancer was 91.2%(31/34) when the chemotherapeutic scheme was guided by drug sensitivity testing of MTT assay, much higher than that of patients treated by routine chemotherapeutic scheme [53.3%(16/30)](P0.05).ConclusionThe in vitro chemosensitivity testing of fresh human tumor specimens by MTT assay in agar culture shows valuable significance in guiding clinical chemotherapy. [