Growth of human bronchial carcinomas in nude mice.

Two hundred and thirteen lung tumours of primary site and 42 metastases were heterotransplanted into nude mice with an overall success rate of 44%. There were differences in success between the histological types. Squamous cell and adenocarcinoma had the highest success rate (51% and 43%, respectively) whereas large cell and small cell carcinoma had a lower success rate (38% for both). The average volume doubling times in the first passage in nude mice ranged from 8.2 in large cell carcinomas to 18.9 days in adenocarcinomas. In subsequent passages an increase in growth rate was found, the overall average doubling time falling from 14.5 days in the first passage to 7.1 days in the second passage. In a study with 171 non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC), the growth data in nude mice were correlated with the clinical data of the corresponding patients. A relationship between the growth parameters in nude mice and prognosis of patients could not be found.