Growth of xenografted squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck--possible correlation with patient survival.

Tumor biopsies from 100 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) were xenografted to athymic nude mice. To ascertain whether xenograft take might be a factor of clinical significance, it was compared with patient survival, the patients being divided into two groups (take and non-take) according to the results of transplantation. The tumor take rate was 29%. Median survival time with respect to cancer death was 18 months in the take group, as compared with over 74 months in the non-take group (p = 0.06). No significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to age, tumor size, nodal status, clinical stage or histological differentiation. The findings suggest that take of HNSCC xenografts in nude mice may reflect the malignant potential of the original tumor. Moreover, the possibility cannot be excluded of a selection bias favoring the use of such malignant xenografts in therapeutic studies in nude mice.