Novel second-order model for tumor evolution: description of cytostatic and cytotoxic effects

Abstract

Cancer is a disease that takes millions of lives every year. Then, to propose treatments, avoid recurrence, and improve the patient's life quality, we need to analyze this disease from a biophysical perspective with a solid mathematical formulation. In this paper we introduce a novel deterministic model for the evolution of tumors under several conditions (untreated tumors and treated tumors using chemotherapy). Our model is characterized by a second-order differential equation, whose origin and interpretation are presented by exploiting our understanding of fluid mechanics (via continuity equations) and the theory of differential equations. Additionally, we show that our model can fit various experimental data sets. Thus, we prove that our nuanced and general model can describe accelerated growth, as well as cytostatic and cytotoxic effects. All in all, our model opens up a new window in the understanding of tumor evolution and represents a promising connection between the macroscopic and microscopic descriptions of cancer.