Tests to Determine Best Chemotherapy

By combining two methods for evaluating the effectiveness of anticancer chemotherapy, researchers have developed a rapid and sensitive system for selecting the most appropriate drug for an individual patient.

Investigators at the Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, CT, USA) have combined their apoptosis assay with the commercially available ChemoFX assay offered by Precision Therapeutics, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA, USA).

The ChemoFX assay determines whether a drug will stop tumor growth. Tumor cells are removed during a surgical or biopsy procedure, and the tumor-derived cells are grown in tissue culture. The cells are then treated with anticancer drugs, and the amount of tumor-derived cells killed by each drug is determined. The Yale apoptosis assay measures the ability of the drug to stimulate the process of cell death.

"These two new assays will take the guesswork out of cancer treatment,” explained Dr. Gil Mor, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. "In patients with very limited time left to live, six months can feel like an eternity when they may have to start a whole new course of treatment if it proves ineffective. This test will help physicians predict whether a patient will respond to a specific drug, much like they test bacteria for sensitivity to antibiotics.”




Related Links:
Yale School of Medicine
Precision Therapeutics, Inc.