A CELL KINETIC STUDY ON THE CANCER PROBLEM BASED ON THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL THEORY USING DIGITAL SIMULATION

Abstract

This paper deals with a general multi-loop automatic control system of the cell renewal process which makes possible the study of the dynamic response of a complete cell group or a compartment. At the same time the behavior of a single cell is observed as to the variability of its mean life span and the possibility of its irradication at any desired moment.

By means of the special block-oriented programming language ASIM (Analog SIMulation) of AEG-Telefunken numerous disturbed cases have been simulated, for example the response to perturbation of the cell numbers in different compartments has been calculated and thoroughly studied.

Several cell renewal systems, both normal and impaired growth, have been simulated and the results interpreted. The mean life span of the cells has been varied and structural changes of the feedback loops of the complex multivariable control system have been carried out.

The aforementioned cases in particular lead to the basic question whether malignant disorders are to be interpreted as unstable closed-loop control systems, the cause for the malignant growth being a structural defect of the feedback mechanism.