CHEMOSENSITIVITY OF HUMAN PANCREATIC-CANCER CELL-LINES SERIALLY TRANSPLANTED IN NUDE-MOUSE

Background: Pancreatic cancer frequently recurs or metastasizes even a fter apparently curative surgical resection. Because of a low, five-ye ar, survival rate after radical surgery multi-modal adjuvant treatment must be used to prevent recurrence of systemic spread Materials and M ethods: The effectiveness of the experimental cancer chemotherapy of m itomycin C (MMC), cisplatin (DDP), doxorubicin (DXR) and 5-fluorouraci l (5-FU) was evaluated in three human pancreatic cancer xenografts ser ially transplanted in nude mice. Results: When the effects of these ag ents were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tet razolium bromide (MTT) assay, only MMC and DDP were effecffve on PAN-3 -JCK, a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. When PAN-12-JCK a modera tely differentiated adenocarcinoma, was used an in vivo assessment of combined chemotherapy of MMC and DDP, a synergistic combination effect was observed. Three xenografts were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice and the maximum tolerated doses of these agents were adminis tered intraperitoneally or intravenously (DXR). MMC showed positive an titumor activity on PAN-3-JCK and PAN-12-JCK and 5-FU was effective on PAN-12-JCK. Conclusions: These results reflect the low sensitivity of clinical pancreatic cancer to conventionally available antitumor agen ts, and suggest the possible synergistic combination antitumor activit y of MMC and DDP.