Seven commonly available chemotherapeutic drugs were used to determine the concentration and time of exposure necessary to kill the newly available human pancreatic cancer cell line, Colo-357. The exposure periods were 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours. The most active drugs were methotrexate, mitomycin, and doxorubicin, each with an ID50 less than 0.1 microM for both a 12- and a 24-hour exposure. Cisplatin was intermediate, with an ID50 of approximately 0.7 microM at 12 and 24 hours. 5-FU, carmustine, and streptozocin were the least effective agents, with ID50 values greater than 50 microM after a 12-hour exposure and greater than 25 microM after a 24-hour exposure.