Characterization of biophysical stromal properties in human cancer: towards personalized computational oncology

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the application of methods and techniques
from applied sciences in cancer research. An important domain in which this
expertise can be particularly useful, is the study of the transport mechanisms of chemotherapy
through the tissue in the treatment of cancer with chemotherapy. It is indeed known,
that the abnormal structure and properties of the tumor tissue (the connective tissue, overpressure,
abnormal blood vessels ...) are a major obstacle to the transport of chemotherapy
through the tissue, both from the bloodstream (by intravenous administration) and from the
abdominal cavity (with intraperitoneal administration). As a result, chemotherapy does not reach the tumor cells
or very limited, which adversely affects the efficacy of the treatment. The target
of this project is to arrive at a mathematical model, based on magnetic imaging
resonance, which allows to visualize the biophysical properties of human tumors
bring. Knowledge of these properties allows a 'personal' approach, where
patients on the basis of the physical properties (such as tissue pressure) observed
receive treatment with the aim of 'normalizing' the tumor tissue, so that it is given at the same time
chemotherapy penetrates better into the tissue and therefore works better.