Figure: An early test of our new 3-D agent-based cell model, growing from 10 to 80,000 agents in about 25 days (24-threaded simulation required about 5 hours). Rendered in 3D using POVRAY (with a cutaway view). [Read more ...]

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

ACP paper accepted

After a few years of work, our big DCIS paper has been accepted at Analytical Cell Pathology. I'll post a preprint soon on the publications page. Major points: 
  • We used my agent model calibration technique, plus a volume-averaging upscaling to calibrate a simplified continuum model of DCIS growth in the breast. 
  • We used the steady-state approximation of the continuum model to estimate the DCIS volume.
  • We applied this technique to 17 cases and found a very good match in predicted vs. pathology volume in 14 of 17 cases. 
  • We also found that the model was a much better predictor of volume than mammographic estimates (although this can vary with how the mammography is processed).
  • We found that the mathematical theory predicted that a single variable A--a ratio of the apoptotic index, the proliferative index, and the estimated intraductal oxygenation--is a better predictor of tumor volume than grade, PI, or AI alone.  
The last finding is significant, because you can AI and PI from fairly standard immunohistochemical stains (cleaved Caspase-3 and Ki-67), and oxygenation can be estimated from histopathologic measurements of the viable rim size when comedonecrosis is present.  These things can likely be done on pre-operative biopsy tissue. 

In the long term, this could prove useful for improved surgical planning. Right now, second surgeries are required in 50% or more DCIS lumpectomies due to inadequate pre-surgical estimates of tumor shape and volume. 

More to come when I post the preprint tonight or tomorrow. 


Edit on Sept. 8, 2011 at 11:22 am PDT:


Preprint is now online:
http://www.mathcancer.org/publications/edgerton11_ACP(preprint).pdf

Posted by Paul Macklin at 2:25 PM