Use of cells cultured from human mammary carcinomas for studies of malignant progression and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity.

We describe techniques to readily culture human mammary epithelium from normal and malignant tissue. The cells were characterized as to their epithelial origins and qualities distinguishing tumor from normal cells. Using a highly efficient clonogenic assay, we now are able to routinely assay breast tumors for chemotherapeutic drugs. Initial studies suggest that these assays correlate with patient response.