A Primary Culture of Carcinoma of the Maxillary Sinus in Human

Abstract

Tissues of a carcinoma of the maxillary sinus (Squamous cell carcinoma) from 66 year-old patient was applicated to cultivation to examine their viability in vitro and responsiveness to some anti-cancer drugs.
Suspension type of cultured cells (MC cells), which were derived from above pa tient, showed population doubling time of 12 hours and could grow active for more than 100 days after starting cultivation.
The in vitro response of MC cells to several anti-cancer drugs (Bleomycin A₂, ACNU, Amphotericin B) was compared to that of cultured mouse leukemia cells (L5178Y). The MC cells were more sensitive to Bleomycin A₂ and ACNU whereas less sensitive to Amphotericin B than L5178Y cells.
Vitamin A, a polyene compound, enhanced the effect of ACNU to L5178Y cells exellently, in the presence of less effect to MC cells. Another polyene compound, Pentamycin, which would enhance the effect of Bleomycin A₂ in transformed fibro blastic cells, showed similar enhancement of Bleomycin A₂ in MC cells. The cultivation of cancer cells from patient to examine their in vitro response to anti-cancer drugs could be a useful assay method for screening of cancer chemotherapy.