Mathematical Modelling of Natural Phenomena

Table of Contents - 2012 - Volume 7, Issue 01 (Cancer modeling)  

Research Article

Modeling the Impact of Anticancer Agents on Metastatic Spreading

S. Benzekrya1a2, N. Andréa3a4, A. Benabdallaha1, J. Ciccolinia2, C. Faivrea2, F. Huberta1 and D. Barbolosia2 c1

a1 CMI-LATP, UMR 6632, Université de Provence, Technopôle Château-Gombert 39, rue F. Joliot-Curie, 13453 Marseille cedex 13, France

a2 Laboratoire de Toxicocinétique et Pharmacocinétique UMR INSERM 911, CRO2 27, boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France

a3 Service d’Hématologie et Oncologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital pour enfants de La Timone Marseille, France

a4 Metronomics Global Health Initiative

Abstract

Treating cancer patients with metastatic disease remains an ultimate challenge in clinical oncology. Because invasive cancer precludes or limits the use of surgery, metastatic setting is often associated with (poor) survival, rather than sustained remission, in patients with common cancers like lung, digestive or breast carcinomas. Mathematical modeling may help us better identify non detectable metastatic status to in turn optimize treatment for patients with metastatic disease. In this paper we present a family of models for the metastatic growth. They are based on four principles : to be as simple as possible, involving the least possible number of parameters, the main informations are obtained from the primary tumor and being able to recover the variety of phenomena observed by the clinicians. Several simulations of therapeutic strategies are presented illustrating possible applications of modeling to the clinic.

(Online publication January 25 2012)

Key Words:

  • modeling;
  • metastases;
  • anti-angiogenic therapy;
  • metronomic chemotherapy

Mathematics Subject Classification:

  • 35F16;
  • 92C50

Correspondence:

c1 Corresponding author. E-mail: fhubert@cmi.univ-mrs.fr