DiSC assay stands for Differential Staining Cytotoxicity. It is a technique that assesses the cytotoxic drug sensitivity of fresh human cells from patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers. It is carried out outside the body (ex vivo) and has had most use with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML or ANLL), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Because individual differences in drug sensitivity are considerable, the DiSC assay attempts to assess how patients will respond to various chemotherapies prior to actually administering chemotherapy.

The center for DiSC assay research is Bath Cancer Research, Wolfson Centre, Royal United Hospital, Bath, BA1 3NG, England. The work is headed by Dr. Andrew G. Bosanquet, BSc, PhD, CBiol, MIBiol, CChem, FRSC. Bath Cancer Research provides an international service for consultant hematologists/oncologists, testing cells from patients for drug response against a panel of up to 35 cytotoxic drugs. Reports are then sent to consulting physicians to aid in the choice of optimum therapies. The information is intended to maximize the likelihood of response and reduce the risk of causing patient toxicity with no clinical benefit.

Critics of the DiSC assay procedure contend that cells do not necessarily react the same in the laboratory (in vitro) as they do in the body (in vivo). While there have been no comparative studies yet published that determine an increased efficacy of treatment based on this test, its proponents see it as a step toward tailor-made treatment.

Additional information on DiSC asssay and Bath Cancer Research can be found on-line at http://caltri.org