An in vitro chemosensitivity test for gastric cancer using collagen gel droplet embedded culture.

Collagen gel droplet embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST) was applied to 33 patients with gastric cancer (30 primary tumors, 12 metastatic tumors and 25 biopsy specimens). Evaluable rates by CD-DST were 80% for primary tumors, 75% for metastatic tumors and 72% for biopsy specimens. Chemosensitivities of primary tumors were: 5-fluorouracil 25%, mitomycin C 17%, cisplatin 13%, adriamycin 17%, etoposide 21%. Chemosensitivities of metastatic tumors were lower than those of primary tumors. In 4 out of 6 patients who had measurable lesions, clinical responses to chemotherapy were predictable by CD-DST.