Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
Volume 8 (2007), Issue 2, Pages 77-92
doi:10.1080/17486700701349021
Original Article

Modeling Biomarker Dynamics with Implications for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Erin B. Hedican,1 John T. Kemper,2 and Nicole M. Lanie3

1School of Public health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55155, USA
2Department of Mathematics, University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul, MN 55105, USA
3Department of Mathematics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA

Received 10 November 2005; Revised 28 February 2007; Accepted 13 March 2007

Copyright © 2007 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The authors review existing models of biomarker dynamics and develop and investigate several new models which may better accommodate the underlying biology. While the general foundations of the models studied could be applied to a number of biomarker systems, the parameter values and specific applications to treatment regimens are focused on the role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a biomarker for prostate cancer. Included are suggestions for possible clinical validation studies.