Computation of population and physiological risk parameters from cancer data

A biological hypothesis known as the "two-stage cancer model" conceptualizes carcinogenesis in mathematical terms. Prof. W. Thilly (MIT) and Prof. S. Morgenthaler (ETH,) and their students, especially Dr. Pablo Herrero-Jimenez have organized age- and birth cohort-specific cancer mortality data from the United States (1900-1997). Unfortunately, no computer program exists that permits cancer researchers to develop and explore quantitative hypotheses about the values of biological parameters through the analysis of this large and comprehensive data set. In this thesis, initial efforts of the Morgenthaler and Thilly groups have been extended by improving and transporting a preliminary Fortran program incorporating an approximate model into a Java-based program. This program, CancerFit, can be used by cancer researchers without backgrounds in mathematics or computer programming. CancerFit is the first of its kind that deals with the carcinogenic process as a whole, rather than in smaller, individual components.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Hensle, David, 1981-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• William G. Thilly.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/16966

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/16966