A [[PATIENT-LIKE]] NUDE-MOUSE MODEL OF PARIETAL PLEURAL HUMAN LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA

Histologically intact human adenocarcinoma of the lung maintained in n ude mice by serial subcutaneous transplantations (4 generations) was h arvested and transplanted to the parietal pleura of 11 other nude mice via a novel thoracotomy procedure. Local and regional tumor growth of transplanted tumors occurred in all cases within 31 days, resulting i n weight loss, decreased physical activity and death. This rapid-growt h <<patient-like>> model of direct transplantation of a human neoplasm to the patietal pleura may facilitate basic research of pleural malig nancies, and stimulate studies of pleural tumor response to cytotoxic treatment, biologic modifiers, and other modalities of treatment.