Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. One of the main treatment options for liver cancer is a partial hepatectomy (PH), which is removal of two-thirds of the liver. However, some cancer may remain after PH. As the liver regenerates, it competes with the remaining cancerous cells for resources and survival.
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Location of the liver relative to the rest of the body (Image courtesy of CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/liver-cancer/)
Recent medical research suggests that hyperactivation of Yes-associated protein (YAP) may help curb the growth of tumors in the liver. So in our research, we explore the resource competition between healthy and cancerous cells after PH: both with and without hyperactivation of YAP. We use mathematical modeling (primarily ordinary differential equations) to describe the dynamics in both populations over time.