Optimal chemotherapy schedules from tumor entropy

Abstract

We propose a model for the dynamics of an heterogeneous tumor, which consists of sensitive and resistant cells. The model is analyzed and validated using a cellular automaton whose local rules are classic and widely accepted in Biology. We then extend the model to a tumor under therapy. We consider Shannon’s entropy for the tumor and analyze the problem of minimizing this entropy. From this minimization problem, we find viable therapies that maintain at low level the entropy of the tumor. These therapies could provide a valuable tool for designing protocols for disease control, maintaining a very low growth level, while the tumor remains composed mainly of sensitive cells.