COMPUTER MODELING OF CYTOKERATIN RELEASE IN CLINICAL ONCOLOGY

The levels of cytokeratins (CK) in serum of cancer patients have been widely used for monitoring progression of cancer growth and the effect iveness of cancer treatment. Previous studies have shown that the rele ase of CK by rumors in patients is a complex process which depends on the rate of cell damage caused by an increasing tumor mass, or by the tumor treatment, but is not in any simple manner correlated to the num ber of proliferating cells or to the total tumor mass (1). The complex ity of the CK-releasing process has been analysed by a computer model which mimics the progress of tumor growth, allows the introduction of different types of treatment (i.e. irradiation, chemotherapy and surge ry), and computes the amount of CK released by the tumor, and the leve l of CK in blood and blood clearance. The computer model can be used t o obtain a better understanding of the interactions of various factor' s, for scheduling of treatment and CK sampling, and for analysing the effects of treatment.