Pet Tumor Drug Sensitivity Testing FAQ — Samples, Process, Interpretation and Cost

Tumor tissue collected on surgery day is cultured into a "3D tumor organoid" — a mini model retaining this pet's real tumor features (patient-derived organoids, PDO) — then 48 chemo/targeted drugs are tested one by one on the "stand-in". About 10 days later you get a personalized "drug map": which drug is most effective and which is ineffective at a glance.

Yes, both dogs and cats. Testing covers lymphoma, mast cell tumors, sarcomas, melanoma, mammary cancer, osteosarcoma, and other common canine/feline hematologic and solid tumors. Beyond chemo/targeted drugs, PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy and cell therapy efficacy prediction are also available.

• Surgical tumor tissue: ~0.5–1 g of tumor-containing tissue (half a soybean to a broad bean size), placed immediately in the dedicated preservation solution, stored at 4°C, cold-chain delivered within 48 hours — the most reliable path
• Fine-needle aspirates: 5 mm × 1 mm, 3–5 samples (cell count must be assessed)
• Pleural/abdominal fluid: 5–10 ml, cold-chain within 48 hours
• Peripheral blood: 3–10 ml, heparin tube; PD-1/PD-L1 sensitivity testing requires both tumor and blood samples

Contact the team the day before surgery to confirm sample receiving arrangements.

About 10 days from sample receipt: organoid culture ~2–5 days, drug testing ~5 days, then the report.

Results are graded by kill rate into four tiers: effective (>80%) as the lead drug; partially effective (50–80%) as backup options; partially resistant (30–50%) considered cautiously; resistant (<30%) avoided in advance. A drug ladder recommendation is provided for the attending veterinarian.

The platform's experiment success rate is about 95%; historical consistency between drug sensitivity results and clinical effectiveness is about 86%. Note that in-vitro results differ from the in-vivo environment — the report is a reference for the licensed veterinarian, not a prescription.

Drug sensitivity testing measures actual drug efficacy (testing drugs on the "stand-in"); gene testing looks at molecular features (a 154-gene panel for mutations and targets). Pathology confirms what cancer it is → gene testing finds which targets exist → drug sensitivity finds which drugs actually work — together they form the precision care decision chain.

Fees are assessed based on the treatment process, sample collection, and laboratory analysis; specific pricing is provided by the pet hospital / project team and is not published on the website. Contact the team (WeChat petcura) for inquiries.

No. The report is a scientific research testing result for the licensed veterinarian to reference with the full clinical picture — it does not constitute a prescription, does not guarantee clinical benefit, and applies only to the submitted sample. Diagnosis and treatment decisions rest with the clinical veterinarian.