In vitro radiosensitivity measured in lymphocytes and fibroblasts by colony formation and comet assay: comparison with clinical acute reactions to radiotherapy in breast cancer patients

• Published in: International journal of radiation biology 2002, Vol.78 (7), p.611-616
• Main Authors: Oppitz, U., Schulte, S., Stopper, H., Baier, K., Müller, M., Wulf, J., Schakowski, R., Flentje, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Cohort Studies; Comet Assay; Female; Fibroblasts - radiation effects; Humans; Lymphocytes - radiation effects; Medical sciences; Radiation Tolerance
• ISSN: 0955-3002; 1362-3095
• DOI: 10.1080/09553000210126466

Purpose : To compare colony-forming and comet assays on fibroblasts and lymphocytes of 32 breast cancer patients irradiated after breast-conserving operations and to correlate the results with acute clinical radiation reactions in the skin. Material and methods : Skin fibroblasts were isolated and cultivated before radiotherapy and lymphocytes were drawn prior to the first and directly after the final external irradiation. The colony-forming assay was performed with fibroblasts and the comet assay with lymphocytes and fibroblasts of breast cancer patients according to standard protocols. The clinical radiation reactions of the patients were graded according to the RTOG system. Results : No significant correlation (p =0.09) was detected between clinical acute skin reactions and the in vitro clonogenic data in fibroblasts. Results of the comet assay in lymphocytes, however, showed a significant correlation (p