Metastases from fresh human non-small cell lung cancers propagated in nude mice.

Specimens from 69 freshly resected human non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) were transplanted into nude mice. Twelve mice died before the transplants were evaluable. There were 4 takes of 12 evaluable transplants into untreated athymic nude mice and 24 takes of 45 evaluable transplants into nude mice with decreased natural killer (NK) cell activity. Fourteen tumor lines were propagated into 2 or more successive transplant generations. Distant metastases occurred from the mid-dorsal transplant site in 8 of 81 (9.88%) recipients of 4 of those tumor lines, after 3-9 consecutive tumor growth cycles. Xenotransplantation of freshly resected human NSCLC provides a model with potential for serial assessment of cellular changes related to metastatic capability.