Heterotransplantation of human transitional cell carcinoma in athymic mice.

Human bladder tumors were obtained and transplanted into nude mice or other control animals. Tumor measurements, growth rate and selected histological studies were completed. No correlation between the growth of the tumor in the nude mouse and the clinical course of histologic tumor appearance in the host was detected. Metastases were not found. This feature has been noted generally to be uncommon in the nude mice model with some other human tumors. Despite careful technique tumor growth was achieved in only 40% of the appropriate experiments. The factors responsible for this variability and different growth rate in the nude mouse require further assessment before the results of other experimental treatments can be evaluated.