Selecting Chemotherapy With High-throughput Drug Screen Assay Using Patient Derived Organoids in Patients With Refractory Solid Tumours (SCORE)

This is a single-centre study based on the Simon 2-stage optimax design: 12 patients will be enrolled initially (Stage I), which will then be expanded to a further 13 patients (Stage II) if 3 or more patients enrolled in stage I of the study achieve an objective response with the chemotherapeutic agent selected by the drug screen assay. A total of 25 patients will be included in both stages of study. Patients enrolled on study will undergo a fresh biopsy of tumour lesion to obtain cells that will be used to generate patient-derived tumour organoids based on the Invitrocue technology. Organoids will then be subjected to a 10-drug panel screening including: 5-fluorouracil, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, paclitaxel and vinorelbine. A further 5 drugs (etoposide, ifosfamide, methotrexate, pemetrexed and topotecan) will be screened if sufficient organoids are grown from the biopsy samples within the screening period. Physicians will be informed of the results, and choice of chemotherapy will be based on an IRS score of 70% or above. If more than 1 candidate drug with IRS of 70% or above is identified, the physician will exercise his/her discretion to select the most suitable drug based on patient's comorbidities and organ function.