Growth kinetics of human large bowel cancer growing in immune-deprived mice and some chemotherapeutic observations.

Xenografts of human large bowel cancer have been grown in immune-deprived mice. Studies have been made of their intermitotic time and other proliferative characteristics, and their response to single doses of a number of chemotherapeutic agents has been measured. The indications from this study are that, although the growth rate of xenografts is much faster than that for tumors in man, this is likely to be due largely to a difference in rate of cell loss, and the intermitotic time and growth fraction may not have changed substantially. The spectrum of response to chemotherapeutic agents is in line with clinical experience and, although there are many uncertainties and problems still to be resolved, it is indicated that xenografts could provide a useful experimental system for the laboratory study of the chemotherapy of large bowel cancer.