Interstitial stress and fluid pressure within a growing tumor.

Abstract

A solid tumor is composed of a population of cells that is expanding as a result of cell division. With dense cell packing, the solid matrix of the interstitial tissue is subject to residual stress. In addition, elevated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) has been reported by researchers for a number of solid tumors. These features were incorporated into a mathematical model that predicts the mechanical response of a solid tumor within its host environment. A theoretical framework accounting for volumetric expansion, transvascular exchange and extravascular transport of fluids was developed using poroelastic theory, and applied to a spherical, vascularized, alymphatic tumor undergoing small growth increments. Simulations of tumor IFP were similar to those predicted by Jain and Baxter, showing elevated IFP that is driven by microvascular fluid pressure. Tumor growth, tissue stiffness, and IFP contribute to the compressive stresses predicted in the solid tumor interior. Tensile and compressive stresses were predicted in adjacent host tissues corresponding to radial and circumferential directions, respectively. An application of this model includes a solid stress-based framework for predicting regions of vascular collapse within the tumor interior.