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Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and patient-derived xenograft organoids (PDxOs) represent powerful platforms for cancer research, particularly in the development and testing of new treatments. These models provide a more accurate and clinically relevant method to study human cancer biology and therapeutic responses. PDOs and PDxOs are derived from patients' tumor cells, allowing these organoids to closely mimic the complex architecture and cellular heterogeneity of the original tumors. Because PDOs and PDxOs retain many of the biological and genetic characteristics of the original tumor, they serve as more predictive models for how a tumor might respond to specific treatments in a clinical setting. This close correlation with the patient's actual tumor response can lead to actionable predictions of clinical outcomes, providing a valuable tool for personalized medicine.

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is a transformative tool in oncology and functional precision medicine, particularly in the assessment of patient-derived models of cancer. QPI offers a non-invasive, label-free method to monitor real-time cellular behaviors and measure cellular dry mass in cancer cells exposed to chemotherapeutic drugs at different dosages. We will discuss the use of QPI for functional precision medicine and its advantages over traditional cytotoxicity endpoint assays such as Cell Titer Glo. We will also show the use of QPI to measure dynamic responses of cells to drugs, including assessment of heterogeneity within cellular responses.