In vitro chemosensitivity testing and mechanisms of drug resistance.

This article reviews the cellular mechanisms that confer biochemical and clinical resistance to antineoplastic agents used in the adjunctive treatment and palliation of metastatic ovarian cancer. The historical development of in vitro chemosensitivity testing is also reviewed, along with published experiences of various investigators with assays used in clinical ovarian cancer treatment programs. Finally, an investigational protocol for chemosensitivity testing is proposed.