THE APPLICATION OF AGE RESPONSE FUNCTIONS TO THE OPTIMIZATION OF TREATMENT SCHEDULES

Abstract

ABSTRACT A computer‐based technique is described for calculating the survival of normal and malignant cell populations during and after chemotherapy or radiotherapy. For exponentially growing cells, cell sensitivity as a function of the position in the cell cycle (age response function) is considered and survival calculated by means of a method discussed previously (Hahn, 1966; Hahn & Kallman, 1967). It is shown how the age response function is obtained from experimental data. Two examples of the application of the computer‐based technique are given. As one example, the technique is used to ‘optimize’ the scheduling of fractionated irradiations to differentially kill one cell line over another using as a basis for optimization differences in their age response functions. the second example illustrates the use of the technique to determine the relative advantage of different chemotherapy protocols. Here the survival of cycling and noncycling bone marrow stem cells, and resistant and sensitive malignant cells, is calculated. It is suggested that the technique may have direct relevance for the chemotherapy of some leukemias.