Numerical simulation of the tumor interstitial fluid transport: Consideration of drug delivery mechanism

Abstract

The interstitial fluid transport plays an important role in terms of its effect on the delivery of therapeutic agents to the cancerous organs. In this study, a comprehensive numerical simulation of the interstitial fluid transport establishing 3D models of tumor and normal tissue is accomplished. Different shapes of solid tumors and their surrounding normal tissues are selected, by employing the porous media model and incorporating Darcy's model and Starling's law. Besides, effects of the tumor radius, normal tissue size, tissue hydraulic conductivity and necrotic core are investigated on the interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) and interstitial fluid velocity (IFV). Generally, results suggest that the configurations of the tumor and surrounding normal tissue affect IFP and IFV distributions inside the interstitium, which are much more pronounced for various configuration of the tumor. Furthermore, findings demonstrate that larger tumors are more prone for producing elevated IFP comparing with the smaller ones and impress both IFP and IFV dramatically. Nevertheless, normal tissue size has less impact on IFP and IFV, until its volume ratio to the tumor remains greater than unity; conversely, for the values lower than unity the variations become more significant. Finally, existence of necrotic core and its location in the tumor interstitium alters IFP and IFV patterns and increases IFV, considerably.