Contrasting the impact of cytotoxic and cytostatic drug therapies on tumour progression.

ABSTRACT: A tumour grows when the total division (birth) rate of its cells exceeds their total mortality (death) rate. The capability for uncontrolled growth within the host tissue is acquired via the accumulation of driver mutations which enable the tumour to progress through various hallmarks of cancer. We present a mathematical model of the penultimate stage in such a progression. We assume the tumour has reached the limit of its present growth potential due to cell competition that either results in total birth rate reduction or death rate increase. The tumour can then progress to the final stage by either seeding a metastasis or acquiring a driver mutation. We influence the ensuing evolutionary dynamics by cytotoxic (increasing death rate) or cytostatic (decreasing birth rate) therapy while kee

SUBMITTER: Anttila JV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6886869 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature