Abstract: Compared to the conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture, in vitro three-dimensional cell culture (3DCC) can mimic the microenvironment more exactly. Compared to in vivo animal models, 3DCC is less time-consuming and can be real-time recorded. Thus, 3DCC fills the gap between 2D culture and animal models, which is used for oncologic research quickly. In 3DCC, the characteristics of cancer cells, such as morphology, the capability of invasion and migration and the resistance to chemo-radiotherapy, are quite different from those in 2D culture. The development of 3DCC technology provides a platform for oncology, organization engineering and gene or drug screening.

Key words: Neoplasms, Radiotherapy, Drug therapy, Immunotherapy