Abstract A001: Modeling cancer’s ecological and evolutionary dynamics

Abstract

We present a theoretical modeling framework, called the G function, to understand cancer speciation, diversification, and environmental adaptation. The G function integrates both the ecology and evolution of cancer and has been used in evolutionary ecology. However, the G function has not yet been widely applied to problems in cancer. Here, we build the G-function framework from fundamental Darwinian principles and discuss how cancer is inherently an evolutionary game. We begin with a simple model of cancer growth and add on components of cancer cell competition and drug resistance. To aid in exploration of eco-evolutionary modeling with this approach, we also present a user-friendly online tool. We argue that G-functions are useful to understand the games cancer plays in a biologically mechanistic fashion. Citation Format: Anuraag Bukkuri, Kenneth J. Pienta, Ian Hockett, Robert H. Austin, Emma U. Hammarlund, Sarah R. Amend, Joel S. Brown. Modeling cancer’s ecological and evolutionary dynamics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolutionary Dynamics in Carcinogenesis and Response to Therapy; 2022 Mar 14-17. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A001.