Competing species system as a qualitative model of radiation therapy

To examine complex features of tumor dynamics we analyze a competing-species lattice model that takes into account the competition for nutrients or space as well as interaction with therapeutic factors such as drugs or radiation. Our model might be interpreted as a certain prey–predator system having three trophic layers: (i) the basal species that might be interpreted as nutrients; (ii) normal and tumor cells that consume nutrients, and (iii) therapeutic factors that might kill either nutrient, normal or tumor cells. Using a wide spectrum of parameters we examined survival of our species and tried to identify the corresponding dynamical regimes. It was found that the radiotherapy influence…