Acute leukemia and chemotherapy: a modeling viewpoint.

A couple of models of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) are proposed. Normal and leukemic cells are assumed to exist side-by-side with the two cell populations obeying Gompertzian dynamics but with the leukemic cells exercising inhibition over the normal cells. The kinetic equations and steady-state properties of one of the models is analytically obtained. Possible situations of detection or nondetection of malignancy are then discussed. Based on the models of AML, a treatment model is proposed and numerically simulated. Consequently, the option of aggressive treatment of the disease with heavy doses of drugs is shown to be a plausible and worthwhile chemotherapeutic strategy.