Asymptotic behavior of a free boundary problem for the growth of multi-layer tumors in necrotic phase

Abstract

In this paper we study a free boundary problem for the growth of multi-layer tumors in necrotic phase. The tumor region is strip-like and divided into necrotic region and proliferating region with two free boundaries. The upper free boundary is tumor surface and governed by a Stefan condition. The lower free boundary is the interface separating necrotic region from proliferating region, its evolution is implicit and intrinsically governed by an obstacle problem. We prove that the problem has a unique flat stationary solution, and there exists a positive constant $\gamma_*$, such that the flat stationary solution is asymptotically stable for cell-to-cell adhesiveness $\gamma>\gamma_*$, and unstable for $0<\gamma<\gamma_*$.