Numerical Modelling of Drug Delivery in an Isolated Solid Tumor Under the Influence of Vascular Normalization

Mathematical models and numerical methods are used in predicting the various approaches of the cancer treatment process. In the present study, the drug delivery is investigated in three different biological tissues, i.e., tumor, normal, and normalized ones with different transport properties to study the effect of the intensity of vascular normalization on the behavior of interstitial fluid flow and drug distribution. The continuity, momentum (Darcy’s law), and convection–diffusion equations in the porous media are solved numerically. Results show that vascular normalization reduces the interstitial fluid pressure and sets up the pressure gradient, which can cause fluid flow throughout the tumor. The drug delivery improvement is shown by solute transport analysis, also. It is concluded that the amount of the maximum rate of drug concentration increases in time by vascular normalization. Moreover, normalization can establish the concentration gradient, which consequently improves the penetration of the drug into the inner parts of the tumor.