Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

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Summary Various approaches have been used to construct simulations of complex biologic processes. All these methods have distinct advantages and disadvantages. In vitro biological systems work well in many situations, but require physical facilities and often are not complex enough or accurate enough to effectively model in vivo systems. In silico (computer-simulated) systems are becoming more sophisticated and, as described below, are becoming increasingly able to model biological systems. Two modeling systems are commonly, but not exclusively, utilized to model biological systems: equation-based modeling (EBM), or more specifically ordinary differential equations (ODE), and agent-based modeling (ABM). This invention comprises an agent-based computer simulation of the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. It includes systems and methods of modeling hepatic inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. The systems and methods are useful for determining independent patient prognoses, as well as for drug development and testing and integrated digital pathology.