<b>
Selected Illustrative Medical Journal Abstracts 
THESE HAVE BEEN EDITED because of copyright, but the complete abstract can be called up by the link.  The complete article can be gotten at a medical library, or paid for online, or by writing to the authors for reprints. </b>

Int J Gynecol Pathol 1999 Jan;18(1):20-8
Expression of steroid receptors, Ki-67, and p53 in uterine leiomyosarcomas.
Zhai YL, Kobayashi Y, Mori A, Orii A, Nikaido T, Konishi I, Fujii S. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shinshu Univ. School of Medicine,Matsumoto, Japan.

"The expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), tumor suppressor oncogene p53, and Ki-67 was compared in uterine smooth muscle tumors, including leiomyosarcoma (LMS), tumor of uncertain malignant potential (UMP), cellular leiomyoma (CL), bizarre leiomyoma (BL), and usual leiomyoma (UL). ER and PR were expressed in all ULs. PR was expressed in UL irrespective of the phase of the menstrual cycle; this staining was also observed in CL, UMP, and BL, although BL showed variable staining for ER. Compared to these tumors, the expression of both ER and PR was markedly reduced in LMS. The results of ER and PR transcripts by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were compatible with those of immunohistochemistry. The number of Ki-67 positive cells in LMS was significantly higher than in UMP, BL, CL, and UL. p53 immunoreactivity was seen in 10 of 14 LMSs, and missense mutation in the p53 gene was found in 4 of 10 LMSs. These results suggest that abnormal expression of ovarian steroid receptors, p53, and Ki-67 is frequently associated with LMS of the uterus." 
&&url PMID: 9891238



Mod Pathol 1999 Nov;12(11):1001-9
Comparative immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of uterine and extrauterine leiomyosarcomas.
Rao UN, Finkelstein SD, Jones MW. Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian University Hospital, Pennsylvania 15213-2582, USA.

"Histologic criteria defining malignancy in smooth muscle tumors are currently site specific. This study was undertaken to determine whether, in leiomyosarcomas (LMS) occurring in different anatomic locations, there were differences in patterns of expression of molecules that have been demonstrated to be associated with biologically aggressive behavior in malignant neoplasms, and also to determine their diagnostic utility. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were selected from 16 extrauterine leiomyosarcomas (EULMS), 14 cases of uterine leiomyosarcomas (ULMS) and from five cases each of uterine and extrauterine leiomyomas (LM). Utilizing immunohistochemical (ABC) techniques with antigen retrieval, we assessed serial sections of each tumor for immunoreactivity with Glut1, CD44s, bcl2, cyclin D1, and estrogen receptor. Molecular genotyping for detecting k-ras-2 point mutation, p53 gene loss, and mdm2 gene amplification was performed on microdissected tumor samples from the same histologic sections. All of the uterine and extrauterine LM were diffusely positive for CD44s, bcl2, and cyclin D1, and uniformly negative for Glut1. In contrast, 50% of the ULMS and 25% of EULMS were Glut l positive. Moreover, Glut1 positivity closely correlated with aggressive biologic behavior reflected by distant metastatic spread. Eighty-percent of LM and 70% of the ULMS were estrogen receptor positive, whereas only one retroperitoneal tumor had focal weak positivity. Over 80% of the extrauterine and 50% of the uterine sarcomas showed absence of CD44s immunoreactivity. Percentage of cyclin D1 immunoreactivity was independent of tumor grade and inversely proportional to the percent of bcl2 positivity. An LMS of the male breast contained k-ras-2 exon 1 point mutation (codon 12 aspartate substitution of glycine). P53 allelic imbalance was present in 29% of ULMS and 57% EULMS. Mdm2 amplification was present in three of six EULMS but not in ULMS. In addition to clinical staging, Glut1 positivity together with patterns of immunoreactivity of CD44 and bcl2 may be helpful in identifying aggressive smooth muscle tumors of the uterus and some EULMS. The presence of estrogen receptor staining may be helpful in identifying uterine versus nonuterine LMS. Although sample numbers are too small for definite conclusions, this study suggests that there are differences in glucose transport, expression of adhesion molecules, and estrogen receptors in ULMS and EULMS, which in part may be due to the estrogen dependency of the ULMS. P53 mutations and mdm2 amplifications appear to be more frequent in EULMS." Publication Types: Clinical trial Randomized controlled trial 
&&url PMID: 10574596



Eur J Gynaecol Oncol 1999;20(5-6):379-82
Hormone replacement therapy after uterine leiomyosarcoma treatment. Case reports.
Ursic-Vrscaj M. Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

"Uterine sarcomas are extremely rare uterine malignancies; with a review of the literature we could not find any data dealing with exogenous oestrogens or combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after leiomyosarcoma treatment. We report two cases of patients with leiomyosarcoma of the uterine corpus. Both patients were without pelvic irradiation or exogenous oestrogen treatment before the diagnosis. Leiomyoma of the uterus was found during surgery in both cases. Both patients were receiving HRT with non-conjugated oestrogens, after an intensive non-hormonal treatment had failed. No recurrence was established after surgical treatment in the patient with 12 mitoses per 10 high power fields (HPF). The patient is still on HRT (61 months). The other patient with a leiomyosarcoma with very high mitotic activity (40 mitoses per 10 HPF) received cytostatic and irradiation therapy after surgery because of locally widespread disease. Ten months after the diagnosis and 3 months after beginning HRT, recurrence was observed. The patient thereupon stopped HRT. After two additional operations, the patient is alive and without evidence of disease. We presume that the present case reports observations might suggest that HRT did not appear to have a pronounced adverse effect on the leiomyosarcoma outcome in our patients. Nevertheless, until more collected data determine that HRT is safe, caution is needed."

&&url PMID: 10609499  



Pathol Res Pract 1996 Mar;192(3):215-23
Immunohistological detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in multiple and well differentiated leiomyomatous lung tumors in women with uterine leiomyomas (so-called benign metastasizing leiomyomas). A report on 5 cases.
Jautzke G, Muller-Ruchholtz E, Thalmann U. Institut fur Pathologie, Universitatsklinikum Rudolf Virchow, Berlin, Germany.

"Seventy-four cases of so-called "benign metastasizing uterine leiomyomata" are reported in the literature. In these cases, well differentiated, leiomyomatous lung tumors developed, usually after a period of several years. Histologically, these tumors appear to be benign. We report on five more such cases in which we investigated the contents of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the pulmonary tumors by immunohistological procedures. All the lung tumors exhibited a high content of progesterone receptors, and in 4 out of the 5 cases a high estrogen receptor content was also found. Modern immunohistological techniques permit the investigation of routinely fixed tissue blocks, and it is thus recommended that the contents of these hormone receptors should be determined in well differentiated, leiomyomatous lung tumors from women. This would both provide information on the pathogenesis of these tumors and establish a basis for possible later institution of hormone treatment. It is likely that the majority of these lung tumors are in fact metastases of extremely well differentiated leiomyosarcomas of the uterus. The possibility that lung tumors of this type may constitute a small group that develop in situ as hormone-sensitive proliferations cannot, however, be fully excluded." 
&&url PMID: 8739468


Cancer 1996 Feb 15;77(4):717-24
Exogenous sex hormone use, correlates of endogenous hormone levels, and the incidence of histologic types of sarcoma of the uterus.
Schwartz SM, Weiss NS, Daling JR, Gammon MD, Liff JM, Watt J, Lynch CF, Newcomb PA, Armstrong BK, Thompson WD. Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,Seattle,Washington, 

" We analyzed data from a population-based, multi-center, case-control study to determine whether the occurrence of histologic types of uterine sarcoma is related to exogenous hormone use and/or to two correlates of endogenous estrogens: excess weight and cigarette smoking. ... One hundred sixty-seven women with newly-diagnosed uterine sarcoma (56 leiomyosarcoma...) were interviewed by telephone regarding possible risk factors ... For comparison, 208 women identified at random from the general population of the study areas were interviewed as controls. ..Use of oral contraceptives was positively associated with the risk of leiomyosarcoma (odds ratios [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7, 4.1), primarily among women who last used these medications 15 or more years prior to diagnosis. .... Women in the highest quantile of body mass index (> or = 27.5 kg/m2) one year prior to diagnosis were at increased risk of each type of uterine sarcoma (leiomyosarcoma, OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1, 5.7...). Women who had ever smoked cigarettes were at reduced risk of leiomyosarcoma (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.3, 1.1) .. but the relationship was not more pronounced among heavy smokers; .. CONCLUSIONS: Several of these findings parallel those from studies of endometrial carcinoma and may indicate a role for unopposed estrogen in the etiology of histologic types of uterine sarcoma." 
&&url PMID: 8616764 



Surg Today 1996;26(2):138-41
The effectiveness of medroxyprogesterone in the treatment of multiple metastasizing leiomyosarcomas: report of a case.
Uchida T, Nakakawaji K, Sakamoto J, Kojima H, Murakami H, Kato J, Yasue M. Department of Surgery, Aichi Prefectural Hospital, Kakemachi, Okazaki, Japan.

"A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for further investigation of chest X-ray films which showed multiple shadows that had been growing slowly over 2 years. ... The lesions were suspected of being metastasizing leiomyoma due to her past history of uterine leiomyoma. Just 1 week before undergoing scheduled open lung biopsy, the lung lesions increased remarkably in size and number. A thoracotomy was performed and six of the numerous nodules were removed. The resected specimens were pathologically diagnosed as metastasizing leiomyosarcoma that was positive for the progesterone and estrogen receptors. Thus, 1 month postoperatively, a course of medroxyprogesterone (MPA), 600 mg daily, was commenced. The residual lesions in her chest started to diminish, shortly afterward. She has remained well on this MPA regimen for 45 months. The prognosis of patients with metastasizing leiomyosarcoma is poor because of its low sensitivity to chemotherapy; however, some types of leiomyosarcoma are hormone-sensitive. It is therefore important to examine the hormone receptors of excised tumors from patients suspected of having metastasizing leiomyoma or leiomyosarcoma." 
&&url PMID: 8919287



Anticancer Res 2000 Jul-Aug;20(4):2389-92 
Cumulative results of chemosensitivity tests for antitumor agents in Japan. Japan Research Society for Appropriate Cancer Chemotherapy. 
Do TK, Kubota T, Ura HT, Yamaue H, Akiyama S, Maehara Y, Tanigawa N, Kitajima M, Takagi H. Tokai Central Hospital, Japan. 
" The correlation of in vitro and in vivo results revealed 215 true positive (S/S), 246 false positive (S/R), 45 false negative (R/S) and 595 true negative (R/R) cases, resulting in rates of 47% for true positives and 93% for true negatives, with a 74% accuracy. We concluded that chemosensitivity testing is widely applied in this country and has a high accurate predictive value for advanced carcinomas." 
&&url PMID: 10953301


Cancer 2000 Jul 15;89(2):288-96 
Thymidylate synthase quantitation and in vitro chemosensitivity testing predicts responses and survival of patients with isolated nonresectable liver tumors receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. 
Link KH, Kornmann M, Butzer U, Leder G, Sunelaitis E, Pillasch J, Salonga D, Danenberg KD, Danenberg PV, Beger HG.Department of General Surgery, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 
[This study was done on 24 patients with unresectable liver tumors receiving hepatic arterial infusion. HTCA chemosensitivity testing and Thymidylate synthase [TS] testing was done on the tumor cells. Seventy-seven percent of the "Sensitive" patients had a complete or partial response. Nine percent of the "Resistant" patients had a response. Median survival time was 32 months for the "Sensitive" as against 17 months for the "Resistant" patients (P=0.003)] [edited. Ed.]
"These results suggest that the clinical outcomes of patients receiving HAI therapy may be predictable with TS quantitation and HTCA. It is possible, therefore, that this combination may be used in the future to select patients with liver tumors who will benefit from HAI before the start of regional chemotherapy." Copyright 2000 American Cancer Society. Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 10918158 


Anticancer Drugs 2000 Apr;11(4):269-73 
Intra-arterial mitoxantrone and paclitaxel in a patient with Stewart-Treves syndrome: selection of chemotherapy by an ex vivo ATP-based chemosensitivity assay. 
Breidenbach M, Rein D, Schmidt T, Heindel W, Kolhagen H, Mallmann P, Kurbacher CM. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Cologne, Germany. Martina.Breidenbach@medizin.uni-koeln.de 
 "Facing the poor track record of both irradiation and chemotherapy in this highly malignant lymphangiosarcoma, ...  limb conserving-therapy using three courses of intra-arterial mitoxantrone (MX) and paclitaxel (PTX) was attempted.This novel chemotherapy protocol was selected by pretherapeutic ex vivo ATP-based chemosensitivity testing of autologous tumor tissue. The patient experienced complete response, which was subsequent histologically confirmed by compartment resection. When developing recurrent STS outside of the perfused area 6 months after primary therapy, the patient was retested and reinduced with three other courses of intraarterial MX/PTX which again produced durable complete remission. This case demonstrates the benefit of individualized therapy in this prognostically desperate disease allowing both limb conservation and maintained quality of life." 
&&url PMID: 10898542 


Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2000 Mar;27(3):423-7 
[Efficacy of docetaxel for recurrent breast cancer: evaluation based on chemosensitivity test and clinical response].[Article in Japanese] 
Sakurai T, Tanino H, Oura S, Suzuma T, Yamamiti N, Yoshimasu T, Sakurai T, Naito Y. First Dept. of Surgery, Wakayama Medical College. 
"We investigated the chemosensitivity of anticancer agents against primary (230 patients, 268 tumors) and recurrent breast cancer (40 patients, 51 tumors) using histoculture drug response assays (HDRA) of surgical specimens. ... ... The clinical response ... Of the ten patients with recurrent breast cancer, eight were pretreated with anthracycline, and seven showed a partial response. These results indicate that docetaxel is effective against recurrent breast cancer, even anthracycline-resistant breast cancer. " [And that chemosensitivity/EDR testing can pre-test possible chemotherapy agents for cancer types as well as for individual patients.  Ed.]  Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 10740636 


Swiss Surg 2000;6(3):137-41 
[Neoadjuvant therapy in breast carcinoma]. [Article in German] 
Baumann S, Kochli OR. Abteilung fur Gynakologie und Gynakologische Onkologie, Universitatsfrauenklinik Basel. sbaumann@uhbs.ch 
.. "The assessment of predictive factors like S-phase, Ki67, ploidy, c-erb-B2, in-vitro-chemosensitivity-testing results and others could help to differentiate patients who will have a benefit from chemotherapy." Review, tutorial 
&&url PMID: 10894015


Eur J Cancer 2000 Mar;36(4):489-95 
p53-regulated GML gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer. a promising relationship to cisplatin chemosensitivity. 
Higashiyama M, Miyoshi Y, Kodama K, Yokouchi H, Takami K, Nishijima M, Nakayama T, Kobayashi H, Minamigawa K, Nakamura Y. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Nakamichi 1-3-3, Higashirariku, Osaka, Japan. 
"The GML gene (glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored molecule-like protein gene) is a novel gene specifically induced by wild-type p53, which may participate in cell cycle control or the cell apoptotic pathway. Recent experiments suggest that the expression of this novel gene in cancer cells is closely associated with sensitivity to certain anticancer drugs. To elucidate the role of the gene expression in cisplatin (CDDP) chemosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 30 surgically resected materials were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GML gene expression was detected in 9 (30%) samples. Its incidence was significantly higher in immunohistochemically p53-negative (P=0.040) or wild-type p53 tissues (P=0.041). On in vitro chemosensitivity testing using 29 primary tissues, six samples with GML gene expression showed good sensitivity to CDDP. In particular, in tissues with immunohistochemically p53-negative accumulation, those with GML gene expression showed significantly better in vitro sensitivity to CDDP (P=0.012). Clinically a good response to CDDP-based chemo(thermo)therapy for NSCLC patients with tumour residue or recurrence, was observed only in those with p53-negative accumulation and GML gene expression, in agreement with in vitro results. Thus, although the number of tested samples was small, GML gene expression is commonly detected in immunohistochemically p53-negative NSCLCs in close association with good sensitivity to CDDP. GML gene expression analysis may serve as a predictor of CDDP-based chemotherapy for patients with NSCLC." 
&&url PMID: 10717525


Anticancer Res 1999 Nov-Dec;19(6B):5155-8 
Chemosensitivity testing of primary tumor cells from gastric cancer patients with liver metastasis can identify effective antitumor drugs. 
Kurihara N, Kubota T, Furukawa T, Watanabe M, Otani Y, Kumai K, Kitajima M. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. 
"The liver metastasis of gastric carcinoma is resistant to conventionally available treatment. .... The resected primary gastric cancer specimen was used for chemosensitivity assay .... The mean survival period was assessed according to the histology of the primary lesion, the grade of liver metastasis and, the presence of peritoneal dissemination. ... Nine patients were treated with drugs that were effective in the chemosensitivity assay, and their responses included two complete responses and two partial responses; these patients showed a significantly prolonged survival period compared with patients treated with drugs that were not effective in the assay. The chemosensitivity assay is useful for evaluating the effectiveness of antitumor agents against liver metastasis of gastric cancer." Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 10697526


J Orthop Res 1999 Nov;17(6):935-40 
Multidrug resistance-1 and p-glycoprotein in human chondrosarcoma cell lines: expression correlates with decreased intracellular doxorubicin and in vitro chemoresistance. 
Wyman JJ, Hornstein AM, Meitner PA, Mak S, Verdier P, Block JA, Pan J, Terek RM. Department of Orthopaedics, Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, USA. 
"We report on two chondrosarcoma cell lines ... Multidrug resistance-1 expression was assayed ... Immunostaining for the multidrug resistance-1 product...was performed ... Chemosensitivity was assayed ... [and]. Cytotoxicity was assessed ... ... Chemosensitivity testing showed that the FS cell line was significantly more resistant to doxorubicin than was the AQ cell line at all doses tested. Our results show that multidrug resistance-1 expression in a human chondrosarcoma cell line results in resistance to doxorubicin in vitro." 
&&url PMID: 10632461 


Hepatogastroenterology 1999 May;46 Suppl 1:1287-92 
Tumor specific CTL therapy for advanced cancer and development for cancer vaccine. 
Tsunoda T, Tanimura H, Yamaue H, Tanaka H, Matsuda K. Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical School, Japan. tsuntsun@wakayama-med.ac.jp 
"Advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a virulent disease with a poor prognosis despite multidisciplinary treatment. The present study was designed to clarify the clinical effects of tumor specific cytotoxic T Lymphocyte (CTL) therapy as multidisciplinary treatment for patients with advanced cancer. ... The ... cancer patients had distant metastases derived from gastric cancer, colon cancer and bilio-pancreatic cancer. The patients had received the chemotherapy according to the results of chemosensitivity test and adoptive immunotherapy by various kinds of the activated killer cells. ..." Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 10429976 


Melanoma Res 1999 Apr;9(2):125-32 
Treosulfan is an effective alkylating cytostatic for malignant melanoma in vitro and in vivo. 
Neuber K, tom Dieck A, Blodorn-Schlicht N, Itschert G, Karnbach C. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 
"The therapy of metastatic malignant melanoma is limited by poor responses and short overall survival. Thus it remains an important issue to identify and test potential new drugs in this disease. This study was performed to examine the effects of the bifunctional alkylating cytostatic treosulfan in vitro. Using an in vitro ... tumour chemosensitivity assay ... five highly chemoresistant melanoma cell lines and melanoma cells freshly isolated from metastases surgically resected from [10 patients'] stage IV melanoma ... were incubated with treosulfan. Three cell lines and eight of the 10 tested tumour cells isolated from melanoma metasteses showed tumour growth inhibition >50% after incubation with treosulfan. Therefore, 14 patients with rapidly progressing stage IV malignant melanoma who had been pretreated with at least one standard chemotherapy regimen received treosulfan. In this population of patients with highly refractory advanced melanoma, one complete remission (7.1%), two partial remissions (14.3%) and three cases of stable disease (21.4%) were observed. ... Therefore, we conclude that treosulfan was well tolerated in this small series of patients and seems to be a promising alkylating cytostatic for the treatment of metastatic melanoma."  Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 10380934


Anticancer Res 1998 May-Jun;18(3B):1973-8 
Further evidence for the value of the chemosensitivity test in deciding appropriate chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. 
Fujita K, Kubota T, Matsuzaki SW, Otani Y, Watanabe M, Teramoto T, Kumai K, Kitajima M. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. 
" The chemosensitivity test using the MTT endpoint is useful in predicting chemosensitivity. ... One hundred twenty-eight patients with advanced gastric cancer were enrolled in the study, [in] which mitomycin C (MMC), doxorubicin (DXR), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and cisplatin (DDP) were used. ... The corresponding efficacy rates were 12.5% for MMC, 6.3% for DXR, 5.4% for 5-FU and 13.4% for DDP. The overall predictive accuracy was 78% in the patients with measurable lesions. Among the patients without measurable lesions, 21 were treated with a curative operation, and 33 with a non-curative operation. In those patients undergoing curative surgery, the "adapted" group detected by MTT assay survived longer than "non-adapted" cases (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides further evidence that the chemosensitivity test may be useful for evaluating appropriate chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer." Publication Types: Clinical trial Multicenter study 
&&url PMID: 9677452


Clin Cancer Res 1996 Sep;2(9):1469-74 
Regional chemotherapy directed by individual chemosensitivity testing in vitro: a prospective decision-aiding trial. 
Link KH, Kornmann M, Leder GH, Butzer U, Pillasch J, Staib L, Gansauge F, Beger HG. Department of General Surgery, University of Ulm, Steinhovelstrasse 9, 89075 Ulm, Germany. 
"A prospective decision-aiding trial was performed to select drugs for regional chemotherapy of various liver tumors (n = 36) by individual drug testing. The drugs were chosen for hepatic artery infusion according to the individual chemosensitivity of tumor biopsies in the human tumor colony-forming assay (HTCA). In vitro HTCA sensitivity correlated with complete response (CR) + partial response (PR) + no change (NC) 93% of the time and with CR + PR 55% of the time. The test sensitivity was 90%, and the specificity was 67% for CR + PR + NC versus progressive disease (PD), whereas the sensitivity and specificity were 89% and 28%, respectively, for CR + PR versus NC + PD. The overall predictive accuracy of the test was 86% for CR + PR + NC versus PD and 58% for CR + PR versus NC + PD. Overall, 83% of this heterogenous patient group with various tumors achieved CR + PR + NC and a 50% clinical response (CR + PR). In vitro-sensitive patients showed a significantly lower intrahepatic progression rate (7% PD) than in vitro-resistant patients (57%; P < 0.05). These results indicate that the HTCA could identify active drugs for individualized hepatic artery infusion, and patients may profit from the use of in vitro-sensitive drugs." Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 9816322


Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1996 Apr;23(5):587-93 
[Successful treatment of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary (OCCA) with a combination of CPT-11 and mitomycin C]. [Article in Japanese] 
Shimizu Y, Umezawa S, Hasumi K. Dept. of Gynecology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japan. 
"Among advanced ovarian cancer, OCCA has worse prognosis compared with serous cystadenocarcinoma because of its poor sensitivity to CDDP-based chemotherapy (CTX). Indeed, there has ever been no one patient with pure OCCA showing an appreciable response to CTX. OCCA has recently been increasing in prevalence and has occupied approximately 20-25% of all ovarian cancer. Thus, there is an urgent need to find effective regimens. Based on the results of chemosensitivity tests previously performed both in vitro and in vivo, we designed a combination of  ...     Six responders showed a significantly longer survival compared with 4 non-responders ...Thus, the present protocol is the first to demonstrate a significant activity for pure OCCA."   Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 8678517 


Anticancer Res 1994 May-Jun;14(3B):1371-5 
In vitro chemosensitivity test of malignant gliomas: clinical relevance of test results independent of adjuvant chemotherapy. 
Tonn JC, Schachenmayr W, Kraemer HP. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Wurzburg, Germany. 
"...However, in 33 patients treated with either ACNU or BCNU, a prospective correlative trial clearly demonstrates a predictive value of the CFA [a chemosensitivity/EDR test]  in adjuvant chemotherapy of gliomas." Publication Types: Clinical trial Randomized controlled trial 
&&url PMID: 8067708 



Semin Surg Oncol 1994 Mar-Apr;10(2):140-4 
Clinical value of SDI test for predicting effect of postoperative chemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer. 
Baba H, Takeuchi H, Inutsuka S, Yamamoto M, Endo K, Ohno S, Maehara Y, Sugimachi K. Cancer Center, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. 
"...Survival rates for patients with a positive chemosensitivity to MMC and postoperatively prescribed more than 20 mg of MMC were significantly better than those without sensitivity to MMC, even when treated with MMC, although no statistical differences existed in clinicopathologic factors between the two groups. We conclude that the SDI test for human gastric cancer is a rapid, reliable, and useful assay to determine the compatibility between the results of assay and the clinical effects of corresponding chemotherapy. We propose that the regimen of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy be tailored according to results of the SDI test, using tissues resected from individual patients." Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 8052784 

Cancer 1993 Feb 1;71(3):661-6 
Preoperative in vitro chemosensitivity test of esophageal cancer with endoscopic specimens. 
Kondo K, Okuma T, Yoshioka M, Torigoe Y, Miyauchi Y, Katsuki T. Department of First Surgery, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan. 
"... the authors tested in vitro chemosensitivity before surgery with endoscopic biopsy specimens from 23 patients with intrathoracic esophageal cancer. ... The authors tested eight anticancer agents using the dye exclusion method, and all 23 patients received chemotherapy with the most sensitive three drugs according to the results of the chemosensitivity test. .... Ten patients (43.5%) had a tumor reduction of more than 50% on radiologic studies, and 4 patients (17.4%) had a good histologic effect. CONCLUSIONS. The chemosensitivity test is useful in selecting preoperative chemotherapeutic agents for patients with esophageal cancer." Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 8431844 


Anticancer Drugs 1991 Apr;2(2):139-43 
Dipyridamole combination chemotherapy can be used safely in treating gastric cancer patients. 
Sakaguchi Y, Maehara Y, Emi Y, Kusumoto T, Kohnoe S, Sugimachi K. Cancer Center of Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan. 
"The feasibility of a combined chemotherapy using dipyridamole (DP) with adriamycin (ADM) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was investigated. First, the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer tissues was determined by the succinate dehydrogenase inhibition test, which showed sensitivity to ADM and 5-FU is increased by DP. Next, a clinical trial of combined therapy of DP, ADM and 5-FU, as a post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer patients, was performed. ... DP did not appear to alter the toxicity of ADM and 5-FU, and no severe adverse effect was noted for this combination therapy. .... This combination chemotherapy appears to be safe and may be useful clinically in treating cancer. 
&&url PMID: 1958858


Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1990 Oct;17(10):2025-30 
[MTT assay using fresh surgical specimens with reference to the transfer system and reproducibility in "test center" method]. [Article in Japanese] 
Kubota T, Suto A, Ishibiki K, Abe O, Yamada Y, Asanuma F, Kawamura E, Yamada T, Suzuki Y, Suzuki T. Dept. of Surgery, Keio University. 
"A chemosensitivity test (MTT assay) was conducted using 59 fresh surgical specimens ... in order to assess the specimen transfer system and the reproducibility of the assay results obtained .... Although the optical density yielded by the tumor cells in a number of 5 x 10(4)/well and the number of evaluable cases were significantly reduced through the transfer, the chemosensitivity pattern of the specimen was identical before and after the transfer. Fifty seven of 59 cases were evaluable and the concordant rate of the assay results between the two institutes was 80.6% (108/134) among each case-drug combination. Since the transfer system of the specimen was established and the reproducibility of the assay results in two institutes was confirmed, the "test center" method of the MTT assay appears to be possible by collecting the surgical specimens from the affiliated hospitals." Publication Types: Clinical trial Multicenter study 
&&url PMID: 2221925 

Behring Inst Mitt 1984 May;(74):273-84 
Use of tritiated nucleotide incorporation for prediction of sensitivity of tumors to cytostatic agents. 
Volm M. 
"Development of a means for prediction of sensitivity or resistance of tumors is of paramount importance for future patient specific tumor therapy. A simple, easily performed short-term in vitro test is described whose basic feature is measurement of changes in incorporation of radioactive nucleic acid precursors into tumor cells after addition of cytostatic agents. In order to determine whether acquired resistance is detectable by means of this in vitro short-term test, resistant animal tumor cell lines were developed to different cytostatic agents. This developed resistance was detectable in the in vitro test system. It was observed that the short-term test could demonstrate cross-resistance, and also development and reversibility of resistance to cytostatics. Further, it is possible to assess the role of proliferative activity of tumors. In a clinical study patients with inoperable ovarian and lung carcinomas (n = 49) were treated by chemotherapy and the results of the treatment compared with the results of the in vitro tests. Tumors which show only a weak response in the in vitro test, also failed to respond to chemotherapy in the clinic. In a cooperative study - conducted by nine different hospitals - results of the short-term test in vitro were compared with results of drug therapy in 151 patients. Of these, 76 were judged resistant and 75 sensitive in the in vitro test. Of these 76 resistant tumors, 56 were clinically progressive (73%), 2 (2%) were in remission and 19 (25%) showed no change. Whilst in the 75 sensitive tumors 18 (24%) progressed clinically, 40 (53%) were in clinical remission and 17 (23%) were unchanged. Therefore if only the definite progression or remission evaluations are compared with the in vitro results 55 of the 57 tumors which were resistant in the test were clinically progressive (96%) and 40 of 58 tumors which were sensitive in the test showed clinical remission (69%). There is also good agreement between the in vitro test results and survival time. Patients whose tumors were resistant in the test generally died sooner than those whose tumors were sensitive. In the studies described - as in other investigations - chemoresistance is shown to be more successfully predicted than chemosensitivity."  Publication Types: Clinical trial 
&&url PMID: 6383325



last updated October 2003
