Seminar Series in Quantitative Life Sciences and Medicine

A Hybrid Mathematical Approach to Improve Chemotherapy Implant Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Adrianne Jenner (University of Sydney)
Tuesday April 16, 12-1pm
Montreal Neurological Institute, deGrandpre Communications Centre

Abstract: Developing an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer presents a unique challenge for two reasons: (1) intravenous drug delivery results in limited concentration at the tumour site and (2) pancreatic tumours form dense impenetrable heterogeneous masses that inhibit drug diffusion. Chemotherapy-loaded implants are a promising experimental treatment that could overcome these challenges. The implants allow localised sustained delivery of chemotherapy and, by carefully selecting the implant injection site, can bypass the dense tumour structure. Using a hybrid Voronoi Cellular Automaton (VCA) and PDE modelling approach, we optimize two attributes of this therapy: the drug release profile and implant configuration. The implants can be made with different levels of polymer concentrations which affect the drug release profile. From the model, we have determined the optimal release profile as a function of polymer concentration. We have also quantified the dependency of treatment outcome on implant location and configuration. Our model presents a unique visualisation tool for our collaborators and allows the mathematical optimisation of the implants to be communicated effectively. The model and techniques we present could easily be translated to a range of medical applications.