A model for temporal heterogeneities of tumor blood flow

Tumor blood flow (TBF) plays a fundamental role in tumor growth and treatment, and is characterized by spatial and temporal heterogeneities. Here we show that the interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), which is higher in tumoral tissue than in normal tissue, coupled with the tumor microvascular pressure (MVP) and the higher permeability of tumoral vessels, can explain the sustained oscillatory behavior of TBF, observed in vivo. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.