Evaluation of subrenal capsule assay (SRC) for clinical cancers

For clinical cancers of esophagus (10 cases), stomach (7), colon and rectum (11) and breast (5), subrenal capsule assays (SRC) were performed using normal or AF nude mice. The sensitivity of anticancer drugs (UFT, CDDP) was evaluated by both the change in graft size under the renal capsule and the histological findings of these grafts. SRC was found to be a very reliable testing method for cancer of esophagus, colon and rectum because these grafts possessed remarkable viability. Evaluability of these two cancers was very high (approximately 80%). Sensitivity of UFT was 29% (2/7) for esophageal cancer, 50% (5/10) against colon and rectal cancer, and that of CDDP was 40% (2/5) and 17% (1/6), respectively. Evaluability of gastric and breast cancers was very low because of the poor growth of the grafts irrespective of the immunity of host animals. It was discussed why the evaluation rate depended on the type of cancer. These results suggest that indications for SRC are restricted, but that for colon and rectal or esophageal cancer SRC is a reliable testing method for anticancer drugs in clinical use.