Preclinical Oncology Testing: Research & Treatment Evaluation

Preclinical oncology testing involves conducting oncology research without using human cancer patients as subjects in order to discover the causes of cancer and assess the effectiveness of proposed treatments and cures. Testing may employ either in vitro testing techniques, in vivo testing techniques, or both.

In Vitro

• In vitro, a Latin phrase, means "in the glass," and refers to testing that is done in a test tube, petri dish, or other such container. In vitro oncological testing applications include cell proliferation and viability assays, intracellular calcium flux assays, angiogenesis, radioligand binding assays, and hypoxia assays.

In Vivo

• In vivo, also a Latin phrase, means "in the living thing," and refers to testing that is done within a living thing, such as a mouse. In vivo oncological testing applications include xenografts for tumor induction, drug dosing, toxicity studies, histology, small animal imaging, and sample collection.

Testing Providers

• Testing providers include both universities, such as Stanford University and McMaster University, as well as private organizations such as American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).