A chemosensitivity assay is a laboratory test that measures the number of tumor cells that are killed by chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....

. The test is done after the tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

 cells are removed from the body. A chemosensitivity assay

Assay

An assay is a procedure in molecular biology for testing or measuring the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism or organic sample. A quantitative assay may also measure the amount of a substance in a sample. Bioassays and immunoassays are among the many varieties of specialized...

 may help in choosing the best drug or drugs for the cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

being treated.

With dozens of chemotherapy agents and hundreds of combinations available for treatment, oncologists often select a regimen from standard protocols developed in clinical trials.

External links

• Chemosensitivity assay entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms