IN-VITRO DETERMINATION OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG RESPONSE IN OVARIAN-CARCINOMA USING THE FLUOROMETRIC MICROCULTURE CYTOTOXICITY ASSAY (FMCA)

The fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA), a short-term in vitro assay based on the concept of total tumor cell kill, was used for testing the cytotoxic drug sensitivity of tumor cells from patien ts with ovarian carcinoma A total of 125 fresh specimens was obtained, 98 (78%) of which were analyzed successfully. Data from 45 patients w ere available for clinical correlations, The FMCA appeared to yield cl inically relevant cytotoxic drug sensitivity data for ovarian carcinom a as indicated by a comparison with tumor samples obtained from patien ts with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or kidney carcinoma. Considering the mo st active single agent in vitro actually given in vivo and using the m edian drug activity among all ovarian carcinoma samples as a cut-off, the sensitivity of the assay and its specificity were 75 and 52%, resp ectively. Cross-resistance in vitro was frequently observed between st andard drugs but not between standard drugs and Taxol. Ten percent of the specimens showed an extreme resistance for at least 4 of 6 of the drugs investigated. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.