Growth of lung cancer in a human tumor clonogenic system.

The human tumor clonogenic assay system has enabled human cancer cells to be grown in vitro and has the potential of providing chemosensitivity results in a manner much like bacterial antibiotic sensitivities. The in vitro growth of human lung cancer cells using this assay has not been previously reported. Over the past 2 years, 3,100 specimens have been plated by means of the two-layer agar technique as developed by Hamburger and Salmon, 302 of which were primary or metastatic lung tumors. Histologic, karyotypic, and nude mice studies confirmed that the colonies were composed of tumor cells. Growth rates (significant growth being greater than or equal to 5 colonies per plate) and plating efficiencies (the number of colonies grown per number of nucleated cells plated) were tabulated for each lung tumor cell type for primary, metastatic, and malignant pleural and pericardial fluids. The average overall growth rate was 199 of 302 (66%)--17 of 19 (90%) large cell carcinomas, 46 of 71 (65%) oat cell carcinomas, 57 of 91 (63%) adenocarcinomas, (* = p less than 0.05 when compared to large cell carcinomas) *40 of 68 (59%) squamous cell carcinomas, *and 39 of 53 (74%) of an undetermined cell type were grown. The average plating efficiency was 0.0236%. In primary tumors, large cell carcinomas had a plating efficiency of 0.0348%, adenocarcinoma 0.0247%, *oat cell 0.0224%, and squamous cell 0.0113%. It was concluded that lung tumor cells can be grown in vitro from 66% of lung tumor specimens. The highest growth rates and plating efficiencies were found in large cell carcinomas and the lowest rates in squamous cell carcinomas. This technique may provide a means of testing for the sensitivity of patients' lung tumor cells to various chemotherapeutic agents.