Biomechanical modelling of tumor growth with chemotherapeutic treatment: a review

Abstract

The efficiency of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer depends on the administration schedule, such as dosage, timing and frequency, and the release control if self-assembled drugs are administered, in addition to the drug transport in the tumor microenvironment. Biomechanical models can help deepen our understanding of drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, tumor response and resistance to treatment, as well as enable the use of personalized treatment and optimal therapies. This review aims to provide an overview of computational modeling for vascular tumor growth, drug biotransport, and tumor response with integration of microenvironmental biology phenomena, e.g., angiogensis, blood flow, and mechanical stress. We first review some discrete and continuum models for vascular tumors, highlighting the advantages and challenges of each approach. Then, we discuss mathematical models that include chemotherapeutic treatment and provide potential strategies to promote drug effectiveness through numerical observations. We finalize discussing several aspects that warrant further research including multiscale modeling of cancer, incorporation of patient-specific parameters and coupling of models with emerging medical imaging technologies.

Particle self-assembly in excitable and non-equilibrium media: biophysical aspects

“…Finally, [4] presents a complete review of computational modeling of vascular drug biotransport, tumor growth and response with the integration of biological microenvironmental phenomena such as blood flow, angiogenesis, and mechanical stress. Several discrete and continuum models for the vascular tumors, underlining the advantages and problems of each approach.…”

Uterus and cervix anatomical changes and cervix stiffness evolution throughout pregnancy

“…Large institutional bodies have recognized the importance of computational modeling and simulation in clinical trials and device design, with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forming the Modeling and Simulation Working Group in 2016 and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) releasing a standard for the verification and validation of computational models specifically for medical devices in 2018 [9,10]. Advancements in in-silico methods for clinical study have facilitated vast research in fields such as cardiovascular, cartilage, and tumor growth biomechanics [11][12][13]. These methods can be used as digital twins to predict disease progression and tailor medical devices to individual patient needs.…”