A new optimization based approach to experimental combination chemotherapy.

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1995

Authors

F.L. Pereira (Author) FEUP; C. E. Pedreira (Author) Other; J. B. de Sousa (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Frontiers of medical and biological engineering : the international journal of the Japan Society of Medical Electronics and Biological Engineering

Vol. 6 No. 4

Pages: 257-268

ISSN: 0921-3775

Publisher: Brill

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge

Scopus - 5 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Mathematics > Mathematical analysis ; Technological sciences > Engineering > Biomedical enginnering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-007-6MC

Abstract (EN): A new approach towards the design of optimal multiple drug experimental cancer chemotherapy is presented. Once an adequate model is specified, an optimization procedure is used in order to achieve an optimal compromise between after treatment tumor size and toxic effects on healthy tissues. In our approach we consider a model including cancer cell population growth and pharmacokinetic dynamics. These elements of the model are essential in order to allow less empirical relationships between multiple drug delivery policies, and their effects on cancer and normal cells. The desired multiple drug dosage schedule is computed by minimizing a customizable cost function subject to dynamic constraints expressed by the model. However, this additional dynamic wealth increases the complexity of the problem which, in general, cannot be solved in a closed form. Therefore, we propose an iterative optimization algorithm of the projected gradient type where the Maximum Principle of Pontryagin is used to select the optimal control policy.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific