Immune System -- Tumor Efficiency Rate as a new Oncological Index for Radiotherapy Treatment Optimization

TL;DR

This paper introduces the Immune System -- Tumor Efficiency Rate (ISTER), a new index for optimizing radiotherapy by simulating virtual patients and tailoring treatment doses based on individual immune-tumor interactions.

Contribution

It proposes a dynamical system model for tumor-immune interaction and introduces ISTER as a novel index for personalized radiotherapy optimization.

Findings

ISTER correlates with treatment success

Patient classification scheme based on ISTER

Optimized biological effective dose (BED) for radiotherapy

Abstract

A dynamical system model for tumor -- immune system interaction together with a method to mimic radiation therapy are proposed. A large population of virtual patients is simulated following an ideal radiation treatment. A characteristic parameter, the Immune System -- Tumor Efficiency Rate (ISTER), is introduced. ISTER dependence of treatment success and other features is studied. Statistical results allow us to give a patient classification scheme. Radiotherapy treatment biological effective dose (BED) is thus optimized based on the patient physical condition, following the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) criterion.