[Use of xenografts for the evaluation of tumor chemotherapy. Application to adjuvant chemotherapy].

Man-mouse xenografts have been widely used to assess the therapeutic activity of carcinostatic drugs on human malignant cells. Xenotransplantation greatly benefited of the use of athymic nude mice and of thymectomized isogenic radiation-chimaeras. However xenografts are still frequently rejected and their growth rate remains low at least for the initial passages. In spite of these limitations they constitute an interesting material which retain most of the characteristics of the original tumour. With few exceptions these grafts express the same sensitivity to chemotherapy as the original tumour and they may therefore provide valuable information in this respects. Unfortunately the long delay of about 5 months necessary to establish a transplantable line and to stabilize its growth parameters limits the use of xenografts in adjuvant chemotherapy. Thus the information brought by the xenografts may at best help in modifying the on-going treatment.