A multi-objective optimization framework for determining optimal chemotherapy dosing and treatment duration

Abstract

Traditional randomized clinical trials are regarded as the gold standard for assessing the efficacy of chemotherapy. However, this procedure has drawbacks such as high cost, time consumption, and limited patient exploration of treatment regimens. We develop a multi-objective optimization-based framework to address these limitations and determine the best chemotherapy dosing and treatment duration. The proposed framework uses patient-specific biological parameters to create a mathematical model of cell population dynamics in the patient’s body. The framework employs evolutionary heuristic search methods (simulated annealing and genetic algorithms) and a prescriptive analytics approach to optimize therapy sessions that transition from treatment to relaxation. We carefully adjust the chemotherapy dose during treatment to reduce tumor cells while preserving host cells (such as effector-immune cells). We strategically time the relaxation sessions to aid recovery, considering the ability of tumors and healthy cells to regenerate. We use a combined optimization method to determine the length of the session and the amount of drug to be administered. We compare quadratic and linear optimal control solvers for drug administration while genetic algorithms and simulated annealing are used to optimize session length. This approach is especially important in limited healthcare resources, ensuring efficient allocation while accurately identifying high-risk patients to optimize resource allocation and utilization.