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Ensemble Optimal Control for Managing Drug Resistance in Cancer Therapies

MCML Authors

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the application of ensemble optimal control to derive enhanced strategies for pharmacological cancer treatment. In particular, we focus on moving beyond the classical clinical approach of giving the patient the maximal tolerated drug dose (MTD), which does not properly exploit the fight among sensitive and resistant cells for the available resources. Here, we employ a Lotka-Volterra model to describe the two competing subpopulations, and we enclose this system within the ensemble control framework. In the first part, we establish general results suitable for application to various solid cancers. Then, we carry out numerical simulations in the setting of prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy, yielding a computed policy that is reminiscent of the medical 'active surveillance' paradigm. Finally, inspired by the numerical evidence, we propose a variant of the celebrated adaptive therapy (AT), which we call 'Off-On' AT.

misc

Preprint

Mar. 2025

Authors

A. Scagliotti • F. Scagliotti • L. Locati • F. Sottotetti

Links

Research Area

 A2 | Mathematical Foundations

BibTeXKey: SSL+25

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