Chemotherapy of WAP‐T mouse mammary carcinomas aggravates tumor phenotype and enhances tumor cell dissemination

In this study, the effects of the standard chemotherapy, cyclophosphamide/adriamycin/5‐fluorouracil (CAF) on tumor growth, dissemination and recurrence after orthotopic implantation of murine G‐2 cells were analyzed in the syngeneic immunocompetent whey acidic protein‐T mouse model (Wegwitz et al., PLoS One 2010; 5:e12103; Schulze‐Garg et al., Oncogene 2000; 19:1028–37). Single‐dose CAF treatment reduced tumor size significantly, but was not able to eradicate all tumor cells, as recurrent tumor growth was observed 4 weeks after CAF treatment. Nine days after CAF treatment, residual tumors showed features of regressive alterations and were composed of mesenchymal‐like tumor cells, infiltrating immune cells and some tumor‐associated fibroblasts with an intense deposition of collagen. Recurrent tumors were characterized by coagulative necrosis and less tumor cell differentiation compared with untreated tumors, suggesting a more aggressive tumor phenotype. In support, tumor cell dissemination was strongly enhanced in mice that had developed recurrent tumors in comparison with untreated controls, although only few disseminated tumor cells could be detected in various organs 9 days after CAF application. In vitro experiments revealed that CAF treatment of G‐2 cells eliminates the vast majority of epithelial tumor cells, whereas tumor cells with a mesenchymal phenotype survive. These results together with the in vivo findings suggest that tumor cells that underwent epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and/or exhibit stem‐cell‐like properties are difficult to eliminate using one round of CAF chemotherapy. The model system described here provides a valuable tool for the characterization of the effects of chemotherapeutic regimens on recurrent tumor growth and on tumor cell dissemination, thereby enabling the development and preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies to target mammary carcinomas. What's new? Despite their prognostic value in breast cancer, disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) aren't usually monitored when treatments are evaluated. In this study, the authors developed a mouse model for analyzing the effects of chemotherapy on the growth, recurrence, and dissemination of mammary tumors in vivo. They found that tumors exposed to chemotherapy often develop a more aggressive phenotype, that tumor cells with a mesenchymal phenotype often survive exposure, and that recurrence is associated with increased DTCs. Their results also indicate that neoadjuva