Bridging population and tissue scale tumor dynamics: a new paradigm for understanding differences in tumor growth and metastatic disease.

ABSTRACT: To provide a better understanding of the relationship between primary tumor growth rates and metastatic burden, we present a method that bridges tumor growth dynamics at the population level, extracted from the SEER database, to those at the tissue level. Specifically, with this method, we are able to relate estimates of tumor growth rates and metastatic burden derived from a population-level model to estimates of the primary tumor vascular response and the circulating tumor cell (CTC) fraction derived from a tissue-level model. Variation in the population-level model parameters produces differences in cancer-specific survival and cure fraction. Variation in the tissue-level model parameters produces different primary tumor dynamics that subsequently lead to different growth dynamics of th

SUBMITTER: Gallaher J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3913019 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature