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Article . 2026
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Colorectal Cancer as a Complex Adaptive System: A Mathematical Model of Environmental Exposure, Microbiome Instability, and Early-Onset Tumorigenesis

Authors: Rantaba, Olorato;

Colorectal Cancer as a Complex Adaptive System: A Mathematical Model of Environmental Exposure, Microbiome Instability, and Early-Onset Tumorigenesis

Abstract

Colorectal cancer exhibits complex dynamics driven by genomic heterogeneity, microbiome instability, and environmental exposures.Traditional tumor models often neglect these factors, limiting their ability to predict patient-specific treatment outcomes. In thiswork, we develop a structured population model treating colorectal cancer as a complex adaptive system, where tumor cells arecharacterized by a genomic radiosensitivity trait. The model incorporates nonlinear tumor growth, radiotherapy and chemotherapyeffects, phenotypic plasticity, and environmental interactions. We establish well-posedness, positivity, and boundedness of solutionsusing functional analysis techniques. An optimal control framework is formulated to determine personalized radiochemotherapyprotocols that minimize tumor burden while penalizing treatment toxicity. Analytical results reveal conditions for tumor eliminationand characterize evolutionary selection toward resistant subpopulations. Numerical simulations demonstrate the impact of genomicvariation on treatment response, highlight the emergence of therapy-resistant traits, and show that adaptive, personalized protocolsoutperform standard treatment schedules. This study provides a rigorous mathematical foundation for precision oncology, linkingtumor heterogeneity, environmental factors, and genomic information to optimized therapy design.

Keywords

colorectal cancer, complex adaptive system, structured population model, optimal control, genomic radiosensitivity, personalized therapy, mathematical oncology

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Related to Research communities
Cancer Research