Chemosensitivity testing of a novel platinum analog, nedaplatin (254-S), in human gynecological carcinomas: a comparison with cisplatin.

BACKGROUND The tetrazolium dye (MTT) assay is useful for predicting chemosensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the MTT assay, an in vitro chemosensitivity test was designed for nedaplatin (cis-diammine glycolato platinum; 254-S) and the results were compared with the sensitivity to cisplatin in 137 resected gynecological carcinomas. RESULTS The mean tumor inhibition rate [I.R.; %] for nedaplatin was equal or superior to cisplatin in 15 cervical [70.7% vs. 63.9%], 65 ovarian [61.7% vs. 54.8%] and 57 endometrial carcinomas [52.1% vs. 47.7%]. In ovarian carcinomas, the I.R.s for nedaplatin were significantly higher than cisplatin in poorly-differentiated, serous and endometrioid adenocarcinomas 180.7% vs. 56.4% (p < 0.05), 77.0% vs. 64.9% (p < 0.01), and 68.2% vs. 54.6% (p < 0.05), respectively]. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that nedaplatin has equivalent or superior antitumor activity to cisplatin in cervical, ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. In particular, nedaplatin showed a significantly better antitumor activity among the histological subtypes of ovarian carcinomas.