Metastatic Model of Colon Carcinoma in Mice: Utility in the Study of Tumor Growth and Progression

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States with an estimated 150,000 diagnosed cases and over 56,000 fatalities annually (Jemal et al., 2006). Approximately one-third to one-half of cases are localized to the colon and rectum and have a favorable prognosis, while one-third to one-half present with regional lymph node metastases at diagnosis and generally are refractory to various chemotherapeutic regimens. Treatment options (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) are limited and the disease carries a grave prognosis for many patients. An orthotopic model of colon carcinoma in mice provides a way to evaluate the pathogenesis of tumor growth and metastasis as an aid in developing effective therapies and to better understand the underlying biology of colon tumor growth and metastasis. The protocol described in this unit details the development and characterization of an orthotopic model of murine colon carcinoma in BALB/c mice with diffuse lymphatic and hepatic metastatic spread, closely mimicking the course of the human disease. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 38:14.5.1-14.5.13. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: colon carcinoma; athymic nude; BALB/c mice; orthotopic; metastasis