AntiCancer's in Vitro Drug Response Assay for Individual Cancer Patient Tumors Correlates With Survival in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--May 9, 2002 AntiCancer Inc.'s histoculture drug response assay (HDRA HDRA Henry Doubleday Research Association HDRA Hemispherical Dielectric Resonator Antenna ) has been shown to be an effective method for in vitro in vitro /in vi·tro/ (in ve´tro) [L.] within a glass; observable in a test tube; in an artificial environment. in vi·tro adj. In an artificial environment outside a living organism. drug response assessment of individual cancer patients. In a newly published study, AntiCancer and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. The main campus is located at 1275 York Avenue, between 67th and 68th Streets, with other locations in New of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of have collaborated to demonstrate correlation of results in the HDRA with survival in individual patients with head and neck cancer. Tumor specimens from 41 of 42 patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer were successfully evaluated by the HDRA. Tumor tissue was cultured followed by in vitro evaluation of tumor sensitivity with cisplatin cisplatin /cis·plat·in/ (sis´plat-in) DDP; a platinum coordination complex capable of producing inter- and intrastrand DNA crosslinks; used as an antineoplastic. cis·plat·in n. or 5-fluorouracil, two drugs most often used in head and neck cancer. A control group received no drug treatment. After completion of drug treatment, the relative cell survival in the tumors was determined and compared to survival of patients treated with the same drugs. Survival was significantly greater for patients whose tumors were sensitive to 5-fluorouracil, cisplatinum, or both agents in the HDRA. The association between HDRA assessment of drug sensitivity and patient survival remained significant with tumors of all stages as well as recurrent cancer recurrent cancer Oncology A cancer that reappears in a site where it was eradicated or disappeared. Cf Remission, Residual cancer. . The new study was published in the latest issue of the journal Head and Neck. Shigeo Yagi ya·gi n. pl. ya·gis A directional radio and television antenna consisting of a horizontal conductor with several insulated dipoles parallel to and in the plane of the conductor. , vice president of AntiCancer, noted that "AntiCancer's individualized in vitro patient tumor drug sensitivity test can identify effective drugs for cancer patients." Dr. Yagi said that, "Empirical chemotherapy given to most patients does not account for each patient's highly individualized tumor, which may or may not respond to any given cancer drug. Testing patients' tumors in vitro allows individualized treatment programs based on the genetic properties of each tumor. AntiCancer's technology is effective, since tumors are cultured as tissue in vitro, preserving their basic in vivo properties." AntiCancer, founded in 1984 and based in San Diego, is also developing new drugs for cancer based on genetic engineering, targeting cancer-specific metabolic defects. The company's MetaMouse(R) metastatic Metastatic The term used to describe a secondary cancer, or one that has spread from one area of the body to another. Mentioned in: Coagulation Disorders metastatic pertaining to or of the nature of a metastasis. mouse models of cancer engineered to be imageable with fluorescent proteins are utilized worldwide in cancer drug discovery and evaluation. The company is also developing diagnostics for cancer and other diseases as well as gene therapy of cancer and other diseases. For more information, see AntiCancer's Web site at www.anticancer.com. |
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