Measure tumor length and width using clipper and then calculate tumor volume using formulations V = (L x W x W)/2, where V is tumor volume, W is tumor width, L is tumor length.

Dear Matthew,

There are plenty of formula made available, all being  based upon the assumption that solid tumors are more or less spherical. You can even find formulas transforming an apparent volume to a tumor mass (as a PHD student I used to calculate Mass = (LxWxT)xPi/6 (or was it 3?)  - when dimension are in mm, mass comes out in mg, by some kind of magic). The problem is that by doing so you can not adress properly the issue of infiltrating inflammatory tissue, necrosis, calcified parts of the  tumors that may overestimate the actual size of the tumor. Functional imaging is probably a good option to measure accurately a tumor volume - but it's quite costly as compared with a caliper from your local DIY, and it comes with its own technical limitations. The most critical point is to do things always in the same way, even with a good old caliper - to be frank I think that all the formulas are wrong (some more than others maybe) but this is not the point. The point usually is to compare groups, so basically if you replicate the same error everytime, your comparison is still relevant. This, means that basically, it's always the same operator that must make the measurements throughout the experiment. I hope this helps?

Thank you all for your responses.  We are recording the volumes of tumors over a 25 week period and cannot remove the tumor until the end of study.  Guozhong I recently found the same formula you suggested in a manuscript, along with some others, V= (length × Width^2)/2 Oncogene. Author manuscript; available in PMC May 4, 2011, and V=1/2 length2 × width in unit of mm3 Cancer Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC Nov 10, 2010.

Joseph thank you for the suggestions and yes we are using a trusty caliper!

Matt

Hi Matt,

this is the formula of Monga: (L*W*H)/2 which is doing pretty well for clinical issues.

Monga SP, Wadleigh R, Sharma A, et al. Intratumoral therapy of cisplatin/epinephrine injectable gel for palliation in patients with obstructive esophageal cancer. Am J Clin Oncol. 2000;23(4):386–392.

I totally agree with Joseph Ciccolini - they are all correct wrong. I do not agree with R.A. Laine as this measurement is much more time dependent after cutting out than expected (unless it is frozen but then the volume is wrong again) - and the same tumour consists of less water parts with progressing growth due to progressing central density wich is well known by the radius dependent IFP (Interstitial Fluid Pressure).

Kind regards,

Wolfgang

Tumor volume= width× width × length × 0.52

Using formula V = (L x W x W)/2 is for convenience when measuring but will not be accurate. Because most of the tumors have hemisphere (or ellipsoid) shape. Then the formula V = π/6 x L x W x H is more accurate. if you use the 1st formula somehow you consider W = H but in many cases are not true (including Matthew's case)! My conclusion is: you definitely need to know 3D size (L, W and H) of a tumor to calculate its volume! 

Matthew, I think you can try to measure the H as much as you can, or you can estimate it like 0.5mm, it's still better than you assume it as big as the tumor's W!

More references are below:

Mary M. TomaykoC. Patrick Reynolds, 1989. Determination of subcutaneous tumor size in athymic (nude) mice. Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, Volume 24, Issue 3, pp 148–154.

E Richtig, G Langmann, K Müllner, G Richtig and J Smolle, 2004. Calculated tumour volume as a prognostic parameter for survival in choroidal melanomas. Eye (2004) 18, 619–623

Do like Archimedes! Put water in a graduated cylinder, drop the tumor in, measure volume change 🙄

ThaT's cool and easy, as long as it is not changing any analysis issues.

How can you measure tumor progression for live mice? If you want to keep mice alive and keep cliper-check daily? What's the formula? How did you measure? Under anesthesia?

We run xenografts commercially (http://altogenlabs.com/xenograft-models/) and our volume calculations are made using digital calipers, which already have built-in algorithms to do all of the menial work. If you're running only one study, then investing in such a device might not be necessary, but for more frequenting xenografting it is well-worth its cost.

V=1/2 [(length)^2 × width] in unit of mm3 is a valid method to measure tumor volume when you have just two dimensions of tumor including length and width.

Reference:

Tumor volume in subcutaneous mouse xenografts measured by microCT is more accurate and reproducible than determined by 18F-FDG-microPET or external caliper. BMC medical imaging, 2008; 8:16.

I am actually measuring mouse PDX tumor volume with MRI anatomic imaging. What I can tell is that the caliper measurement could be 2-3 folds off for a small size tumor (~50 uL) and 20-40% off for a large sized tumor (200-800 uL), V = L X W^2/2. What a surprise!? I am still trying to make the measurement possible since we are only interested in MRI scan of certain sized PDX.

The mice tumor measurement can start after the tumors are palpable. The tumors can be measured 3 times weekly by using vernier calipers to measure the 3 diameters of the tumor. The length (the longest diameter), the width (the diameter perpendicular to the length), and height. Tumor volumes may be calculated by using the formula for a hemiellipsoid (volume = 0.5236 × length × width × height), as this form best approximates tumor shape. Tumor volumes can be measured three times a week.

Volume= length x (width)*2 x 1/2, how to identify length and width is by observing their quantities that the longer the length and the shorter the width.

but also you can use this one = V = π/6 x L x W x H which is more accurate to differentiate width and Height.

• Tumor volume measurements are taken up to 3X weekly throughout the duration of each study to assess tumor response to therapy. It is possible for tumor responses to initially exhibit regression (shrinkage) in response to therapy and then resume progressive growth, therefore tumors must be continually monitored throughout the study or risk missing this response. Tumor volumes are calculated from digital caliper raw data by using the formula:Volume (mm3) = (l x w2) / 2

The value w (width) is the smaller of two perpendicular tumor axes and the value l (length) is the larger of two perpendicular axes. Mean tumor volume growth curves and means are calculated for each treatment group.

one needs the long and short axes of an ellipsoid in revolution, the L/W ratio, see my paper in Med Ped Oncol http://www.cpspears.com/publications/volume-doubling-cpspears.pdf...

see my paper, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://www.cpspears.com/publications/volume-doubling-cpspears.pdf and I will be soon product launch my Volume Doubling Ruler slide rule...thanks...