Chance mechanisms affecting the burden of metastases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The burden of cancer metastases within an individual is commonly used to clinically characterize a tumor's biological behavior. Assessments like these implicitly assume that spurious effects can be discounted. Here the influence of chance on the burden of metastasis is studied to determine whether or not this assumption is valid.

Methods

Monte Carlo simulations were performed to estimate tumor burdens sustained by individuals with cancer, based upon empirically derived and validated models for the number and size distributions of metastases. Factors related to the intrinsic metastatic potential of tumors and their host microenvironments were kept constant, to more clearly demonstrate the contribution from chance.

Results

Under otherwise identical conditions

SUBMITTER: Kendal WS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1289278 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature