Drug Response Heterogeneity Found in Patients Undergoing CRS/HIPEC for Nongynecologic Cancers

Among patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) for nongynecologic cancers, intra- and interpatient drug response heterogeneity was observed. Researchers generated patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) and conducted in vitro drug screens to assess drug response. PDTOs were successfully generated from 13 out of 23 patients, and drug screen results were obtained in as few as 7 days. The study revealed varying drug sensitivities among tumor types and multiple drug-resistant or pan-sensitive PDTOs. Intrapatient drug response heterogeneity was also observed in patients with organoids generated from multiple metastatic sites.