Modeling the hallmarks of avascular tumors

Abstract

We present a stochastic computational model of avascular tumors, emphasizing the detailed implementation of the first four so-called hallmarks of cancer: self-sufficiency in growth factors, resistance to growth inhibitors, avoidance of apoptosis, and unlimited growth potential. Our goal is to provide a foundational understanding of the first steps of cancer malignancy while addressing modeling uncertainties, thus bringing us closer to a first-principles grasp of this process. Preliminary numerical simulations illustrate the comprehensiveness of our perspective.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Population reproduction number ("fitness") with the shaded grey area indicating $\pm 1$ standard deviation, together with the status of each hallmark during one simulation. Mutation rates for the second and third hallmark capabilities are activated after $t = 100$ and $200$, respectively. The hallmarks are represented by the population mean of the corresponding hallmark parameter mapped to $[0,1]$.
• Figure 2: Mean hallmark status per cell at times corresponding to the vertical dashed lines in Fig. \ref{['fig:hmks1']} at $t=10$, $120$, $150$, $210$, $230$, and $260$, respectively, from left to right, top to bottom. Grey indicates empty voxels.