Differences in chemosensitivity between primary and metastatic tumors in colorectal cancer

Katsushi Takebayashi; Eiji Mekata; Hiromichi Sonoda; Tomoharu Shimizu; Hisanori Shiomi; Shigeyuki Naka; Yoshihiro Endo; Tohru Tani

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073215

Differences in chemosensitivity between primary and metastatic tumors in colorectal cancer

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 28;8(8):e73215. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073215. eCollection 2013.

Authors

Katsushi Takebayashi¹, Eiji Mekata, Hiromichi Sonoda, Tomoharu Shimizu, Hisanori Shiomi, Shigeyuki Naka, Yoshihiro Endo, Tohru Tani

Affiliation

¹ Department of Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.

Abstract

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluated the in vitro chemosensitivity of primary site and metastatic site tumors in colorectal cancer.

Methods: Various resected tumor samples (33 from lymph nodes, 42 from liver, six from lung, and 68 primary tumors) were assessed via a collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test to determine chemosensitivity to a single agent or a combination of agents.

Results: Sensitivity to combination chemotherapy was significantly higher than that of monotherapy in the primary site group, lymph node group, and liver group. There was significant difference between chemosensitivity of primary site and that of liver metastasis in each agent (5-FU, p<0.001; SN38, p = 0.045; 5-FU/SN38, p<0.001; OHP, p = 0.037; 5-FU/OHP, p = 0.045).

Conclusions: Tumors showed greater in vitro chemosensitivity to combination therapy when compared with monotherapy. Further, tumors that had metastasized to the liver were more resistant to chemotherapy when compared with matched primary tumors.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage*
Colorectal Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Colorectal Neoplasms* / pathology
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
Female
Humans
Liver Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Liver Neoplasms* / pathology
Liver Neoplasms* / secondary
Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
Lung Neoplasms* / secondary
Lymphatic Metastasis
Male
Middle Aged
Organ Specificity / drug effects

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.