Biomechanical modelling of tumor growth with chemotherapeutic treatment: a review

Abstract

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.