Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are new models for cancerresearch. They can accurately simulate the physiological structures and characteristics of in situ tissues, help to formulateappropriate medication regimens for patients, and achieve individualized treatment. Thus, they are necessary for the rapidtransformation of basic scientific research to clinical applications. In addition, PDO and PDX models can be used to carryout basic research on tumor clonal evolution and tumor pathogenesis. This review focuses on the application of PDO and PDX models in cancer preclinical and basic research.