Abstract: The patient-derived tumor xenograft model (PDTX model) basically refers to a kind of xenograft tumor that removed fresh tumor tissue from a patient and implanted into an immunodeficient mouse. These tumors grow in the microenvironment provided by the mice models. These models highly retain the biological characteristics of primary tumors and maintain the microenvironment of tumor cell growth. The main and major advantage is that it can replace patients for preclinical trials and provide effective research and development basis for the evaluation of preclinical drug efficacy and the selection of personalized basic treatment options. This article specifies and reviews the establishment, clinical applications and the limitations of the PDTX model in tumor research.