Anticancer Drug Sensitivity Testing, a Historical Review and Future Perspectives

Background: Clinical cancer treatment and therapy have been gradually improved by experimental and clinical advancements worldwide, especially after the advent of different types of individualized cancer therapy (ICT). Objective: Despite the longest history of anticancer drug sensitivity testing (DST) among ICT, its therapeutic applications for clinical cancer trials need to be updated. Methods: DST techniques are widely diversified and improved a great deal, but they have not been matured to cure all cancer patients in clinics. Results: The retrospection and panorama of historic and evolutionary developments of DST including clinical relevance, advantageous, technical cautions, limitations of varied models and methodologies at present stage are addressed. Conclusion: Future directions and novel ideas must be established.