Dynamics Of Cancer: Mathematical Foundations Of Oncology (ePub)

The book aims to provide an introduction to mathematical models that describe the dynamics of tumor growth and the evolution of tumor cells. It can be used as a textbook for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, and also serves as a reference book for researchers. The book has a strong evolutionary component and reflects the viewpoint that cancer can be understood rationally through a combination of mathematical and biological tools. It can be used both by mathematicians and biologists. Mathematically, the book starts with relatively simple ordinary differential equation models, and subsequently explores more complex stochastic and spatial models. Biologically, the book starts with explorations of the basic dynamics of tumor growth, including competitive interactions among cells, and subsequently moves on to the evolutionary dynamics of cancer cells, including scenarios of cancer initiation, progression, and treatment. The book finishes with a discussion of advanced topics, which describe how some of the mathematical concepts can be used to gain insights into a variety of questions, such as epigenetics, telomeres, gene therapy, and social interactions of cancer cells.Contents:Teaching GuideCancer and Somatic EvolutionMathematical Modeling of TumorigenesisBasic Growth Dynamics and Deterministic Models:Single Species GrowthTwo-Species Competition DynamicsCompetition Between Genetically Stable and Unstable CellsChromosomal Instability and Tumor GrowthAngiogenesis Inhibitors, Promoters, and Spatial GrowthEvolutionary Dynamics and Stochastic Models:Evolutionary Dynamics of Tumor Initiation Through Oncogenes: The Gain-of-Function ModelEvolutionary Dynamics of Tumor Initiation Through Tumor-Suppressor Genes: The Loss-of-Function Model and Stochastic TunnelingMicrosatellite and Chromosomal Instability in Sporadic and Familial Colorectal CancersEvolutionary Dynamics in Hierarchical PopulationsSpatial Evolutionary Dynamics of Tumor InitiationComplex Tumor Dynamics in SpaceStochastic Modeling of Cellular Growth, Treatment, and Resistance GenerationEvolutionary Dynamics of Drug Resistance in Chronic Myeloid LeukemiaAdvanced Topics:Evolutionary Dynamics of Stem-Cell Driven Tumor GrowthTumor Growth Kinetics and Disease ProgressionEpigenetic Changes and the Rate of DNA MethylationTelomeres and Cancer ProtectionGene Therapy and Oncolytic Virus TherapyImmune Responses, Tumor Growth, and TherapiesTowards Higher Complexities: Social InteractionsReadership: Researchers in mathematical biology, mathematical modeling, biology, mathematical oncology.