Sensitivity tests of tumors to cytostatic agents. I. Comparative investigations on transplanted tumors in vivo and in vitro.

With series of transplanted tumors, the activities of different cytostatic agents which directly influence the metabolism of nucleic acids (Actinomycin D, adriamycin, daunomycin, 5-fluorouracil, procarbazine, trenimon) was measured by determining 3-H-uridine incorporation in short-term (3hrs) incubations of tumor cell suspensions. Data obtained could be used to predict the response of each tumor to particular cytostatic agents in vivo. The activities of the cytostatic agents as determined using long-term tissue cultures (time of exposure of tumor cells to cytostatic agent 48 hrs were comparable to those obtained with the short-term test. In long-term cultures, determination of cell numbers gave results similar to those obtained by morphological evaluation. In SHORt-term test, differing sensitivities of tumors to cytostatics could be detected.