title: A flowgraph model for bladder carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Superficial bladder cancer has been the subject of numerous studies for many years, but the evolution of the disease still remains not well understood. After the tumor has been surgically removed, it may reappear at a similar level of malignancy or progress to a higher level. The process may be reasonably modeled by means of a Markov process. However, in order to more completely model the evolution of the disease, this approach is insufficient. The semi-Markov framework allows a more realistic approach, but calculations become frequently intractable. In this context, flowgraph models provide an efficient approach to successfully manage the evolution of superficial bladder carcinoma. Our aim is to test this methodology in this particular case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have built a successful model for a simple but representative case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The flowgraph approach is suitable for modeling of superficial bladder cancer.
authors: Gregorio
authors: G
authors: Rubio
authors: Belén
authors: B
authors: García-Mora
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Santamaría
authors: José Luis
authors: JL
authors: Pontones
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008390:Markov Chains; D008954:Models, Biological; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000473:pathology*