A multistage model of carcinogenesis incorporating DNA damage and repair.

Mathematical models of carcinogenesis are one tool used for research into the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and for assessing risks from exposure to carcinogenic agents. Recent research into carcinogenic mechanisms has focused on the role of cell replication in fixing damage to cellular DNA and increasing the incidence of malignancies. The most commonly used multistage model of carcinogenesis does not explicitly account for DNA damage and the contribution of cell replication rates on the transformation of cells through the various stages. In this manuscript, a generalized multistage model of carcinogenesis is developed in which DNA damage, cell replication, and DNA repair are explicitly included.