NUTRIENT DIFFUSION AND INTERSPECIES COMPETITION IN TUMOR GROWTH

SILVIA A. MENCHÓN; CARLOS A. CONDAT

Indianápolis

Congreso; March Meeting; 2002

APS

A nutrient competition model of cancer growth is used to study tumor evolution when two cancer cell subpopulations are present. The emergence of a new species can drastically change the morphology and growth rate of a tumor. By using competitive advantages, the new species may generate an instability that transforms a latent tumor into a fast-growing one. The model predicts the development of micrometastases and the eventual reduction or elimination of the tumor mass corresponding to the original species. If the new population has no significant competitive advantages, growth patterns will not be significantly affected.