Recent translational research: computational studies of breast cancer.
The combination of mathematics--queen of sciences--and the general utility of computers has been used to make important inroads into insight-providing breast cancer research and clinical aids. These developments are in two broad areas. First, they provide useful prognostic guidelines for individual patients based on historic evidence. Second, by suggesting numeric tumor growth laws that are correlated to clinical parameters, they permit development of biologically relevant theories and comparison with patient data to help us understand complex biologic processes. These latter studies have produced many new ideas that are testable in clinical trials. In this review we discuss these developments from a clinical perspective, and ask whether and how they translate into useful tools for patient treatment.
Retsky
Michael
M
Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Milan National Cancer Institute, Dorn VA Medical Center, Pepperdine University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mretsky@att.net
Demicheli
Romano
R
Hrushesky
William
W
Speer
John
J
Swartzendruber
Douglas
D
Wardwell
Robert
R
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019295:Computational Biology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011379:Prognosis