<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0203</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2010-03-05</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001124608</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RESPONSE GENETICS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RGDX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001346543</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SRB Management, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>300 CRESCENT COURT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of a 10% Group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001451722</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SRB GREENWAY OPPORTUNITY FUND (QP) LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O SRB MANAGEMENT LP</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>300 CRESCENT COURT, SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of a 10% Group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001451721</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SRB GREENWAY OPPORTUNITY FUND LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O SRB MANAGEMENT LP</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>300 CRESCENT COURT, SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of 10% 13d group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001349003</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BC Advisors LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>300 CRESCENT COURT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of a 10% Group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001349005</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Becker Steven R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>300 CRESCENT COURT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of a 10% Group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001458693</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Drapkin Matthew A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>300 CRESCENT COURT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>Member of a 10% Group</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1397672</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>172746</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>381679</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>114504</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Response Genetics, Inc. (the &quot;Common Stock&quot;) directly beneficially owned by SRB Greenway Opportunity Fund, (QP), L.P. (&quot;Greenway Opportunity QP&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by SRB Greenway Opportunity Fund, L.P. (&quot;Greenway Opportunity, L.P.&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by Steven R. Becker (&quot;Mr. Becker&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Represents shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by Matthew A. Drapkin (&quot;Mr. Drapkin&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">SRB Management, L.P. (&quot;SRB Management&quot;), as the general partner of, and investment manager for, Greenway Opportunity QP and Greenway Opportunity, L.P.; BC Advisors, LLC (&quot;BCA&quot;), as the general partner of SRB Management; and Mr. Becker and Mr. Drapkin, as the sole members and co-managing members of BCA and limited partners of SRB Management, may in each case be deemed to be beneficial owners of the securities described in footnotes (1) and (2).  In addition, each reporting owner may be deemed to beneficially own more than 10% of the Common Stock under Rule 16a-1(a)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;) as a result of being deemed a member of a group under Sections 13(d)(3) and 13(d)(5) of the Exchange Act.  (Continued in Footnote 6.)</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">SRB Management and BCA disclaim any beneficial ownership of any Common Stock listed herein, except to the extent of any pecuniary interest in the Common Stock described in footnotes (1) and (2).   Greenway Opportunity QP disclaims beneficial ownership of the Common Stock described in footnotes (2), (3) and (4).  Greenway Opportunity, L.P. disclaims beneficial ownership of the Common Stock described in footnotes (1), (3) and (4).  Mr. Becker disclaims beneficial ownership of the Common Stock described in footnotes (1), (2) and (4), except to the extent of any pecuniary interest in the Common Stock described in footnotes (1) and (2).  Mr. Drapkin disclaims beneficial ownership of the Common Stock described in footnotes (1), (2) and (3), except to the extent of any pecuniary interest in the Common Stock described in footnotes (1) and (2).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>See Exhibit 99.1</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2010-03-10</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
