Utilization of nude mice in research on human cancer--screening system of anticancer agents using human tumor xenografts in nude mice.

Human cancers including eleven lines of stomach cancer, thirteen lines of lung cancer and six lines of glioma xenotransplated in nude mice were tested for experimental treatment by seven different anticancer agents in the present project. The doses used in this experiment were the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and rational dose (RD) which was determined to maintain the blood level of drugs in nude mice the same as that in humans to obtain clinical effectiveness. In this experimental regimen, the response rate (number of effective lines/number of total lines tested) in the MTD treated group was much higher than the clinical response rate, but the response rate in the RD-administered group was almost the same as the clinical response rate.