Characterization of glioblastoma growth using five different mathematical models

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and most malignant primary brain tumor. Optimal therapy results in survival time of 15 months for newly diagnosed cancer and 5-7 months for recurrent disease [1]. Malignant glioma patients demonstrate limited response to conventional therapies which include surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. New and improved methods of therapy are urgently needed. Physiological experiments using animal models are often used to study new chemotherapeutic agents. These studies are quite effective but often expensive and time consuming. Mathematical models are often used to augment physiological experiments. These models can both increase our understanding of tumor growth, as well as aid in the development and preliminary testing of treatment options [2]. In this research five ordinary differential equation models were used determine the cancer growth characteristics. Model parameters for glioblastoma multiforme were determined for each model and the best fitting model was identified.