38. Interactive Visualization Tool for Planning Cancer Treatment

We discuss the components and main requirements of the interactive visualization and simulation system intended for better understanding the dynamics of solid tumor proliferation. The heterogeneous Complex Automata, discrete-continuum model is used as the simulation engine. It combines Cellular Automata paradigm, particle dynamics and continuum approaches to model mechanical interactions of tumor with the rest of tissue. We show that to provide interactivity, the system has to be efficiently implemented on workstations with multiple cores CPUs controlled by OpenMP interface and/or empowered by GPGPU accelerators. Currently, the computational power of modern CPU and GPU processors enable to simulate the tumors of a few millimeters in diameter in its both avascular and angiogenic phases. To validate the results of simulation with real tumors, we plan to integrate the tumor modeling simulator with the Graph Investigator tool. Then one can validate the simulation results on the base of topological similarity between the tumor vascular networks obtained from its direct observation and simulation. The interactive visualization system can have both educational and research aspects. It can be used as a tool for clinicians and oncologists for educational purposes and, in the nearest future, in medical in silico labs doing research in anticancer drug design and/or in planning cancer treatment.