A rapid method for establishing short-term primary cultures of human tumor cells from fresh tumor biopsies.

A rapid method for the establishment of short-term primary cultures of human tumor cells obtained from fresh surgical biopsies is described. The method consists of the separation of the viable fraction of tumor cells by differential flotation on ficoll-hypaque density solution and its subsequent seeding into culture flasks. Tumor cell growth is established within 2-3 days. The incidence of overgrowth with fibroblasts is apparently reduced and usually delayed for 4-5 weeks, but cannot be prevented by this method.