LONG-TERM CULTURE OF PRIMARY BREAST-CANCER IN DEFINED MEDIUM

Over a period of 6 1/2 years between January 1986 and May 1992, 135 un selected primary breast cancers were cultured and of these 10 develope d into cell lines. Six of the lines grew in defined serum-free medium, while the other four required supplementation with 0.5% fetal calf se rum. Two of the lines are from the same breast, being derived from a l ocal excision specimen and from a mastectomy specimen 12 months later. In addition, 12 lymph nodes containing metastatic breast cancer were cultured; one of these cultures became permanent in a defined serum-fr ee medium. Oestrogen receptor (ER) status was negative in all but one of the tumours which grew successfully, and even in this case the deri ved cell line is ER negative, The epithelial nature of the lines has b een confirmed by immunocytochemistry and by electron microscopy (EM), while their malignant nature is shown by morphology, unattached growth , chromosome analysis, and, in the case of the line from a lymph node metastasis, the absence of any benign source of epithelial cells.