Colony Formation Assay for In Vitro Chemosensitivity Test of Urologic malignancies

Over the past years we have attemptted to grow 29 urologic tumors using a soft agar colony formation assay similar to tha originally described by Salmon and colleagues. Formation of colonies in vitro occurred in 45 of 79 primary urologic tumors (57%), including 25 of 41 uroepitherial cancer specimens, 12 of 19 renal cancer specimens and 5 of 12 testicular cancer specimens. Growth sufficient for chemosensitivity testing ranged from 45% of the testicular cancer cultured to 87% of the uroepitherial cancer cultured. Seven of uroepitherial cancer and fur of testicular cancer were demonstrated in the dose of corresponding colony survival curve for Cisplatinum. Nine of renal cancer were demonstrated in the dose corresponding colony survival curve for Interferon. Seventeen patients were used by the identical correlation, twelve drugs in ten cases were evaluated from the objective effects of the treatment. The predictability results were 67-75% true positive and 75-83% true negative, with 75% overall predictability. This assay can therfore be used to study differences of biological characters including drug sensitivity.