Mathematical modeling in radiation oncology: Translating mathematical models into the clinic

Abstract

The goal of precision medicine is to tailor treatments to the individual patient’s disease. In radiation oncology, this means tailoring the dose to the boundaries of the tumor, but also to the unique biology of the patient’s disease. In recent years, mathematical modeling has made inroads toward achieving these goals, through the optimization of radiation dose based on radiobiological parameters for individual patients. In this chapter, we review recent literature of mathematical models of tumor growth and response to radiation therapy (RT) and discuss the clinical utility of mathematical models, as well as provide a forward-looking perspective into how mathematical models may enhance patient outcomes through well-designed clinical trials.