Phenomenological model of interstitial fluid pressure in a solid tumor.

Tumor interstitial fluid pressure (TIFP) has the potential to predict tumor response to nonsurgical cancer treatments, including radiation therapy. At present the only quantitative measures available are of limited use, since they are invasive and yield only point measurements. We present the mathematical framework for a quantitative, noninvasive measure of TIFP. The model describes the distribution of interstitial fluid pressure in three distinct tumor regions: vascularized tumor rim, central tumor region, and normal tissue. A relationship between the TIFP and the fluid flow velocity at the periphery of a tumor is presented. This model suggests that a measure of fluid flow rate from a tumor into normal tissue reflects TIFP. We demonstrate that the acquisition of serial images of a tumor after the injection of a contrast agent can provide a noninvasive and potentially quantitative measure of TIFP.