Tumour progression simulation

The software tool Tumour progression simulation models the growth and progression of a tumor through various stages, taking into account factors such as cell division, mortality, and the acquisition of driver mutations. The model focuses on the penultimate stage of tumor progression, where the tumor has reached its current growth potential limit due to cell competition, which can either reduce the total birth rate or increase the cell death rate.

The simulation explores the evolutionary dynamics of the tumor as it progresses to the final stage, which can occur through either seeding a metastasis or acquiring a driver mutation. The model allows for the application of cytotoxic (increasing death rate) or cytostatic (decreasing birth rate) therapy while maintaining a constant effect on net growth reduction.

By comparing these treatments head-to-head, the software derives conditions for selecting the optimal therapy based on various factors, such as driver mutation, metastasis, intrinsic cell birth and death rates, and cell competition details. The model quantifies the choice and related gain of optimal therapy depending on these factors.