Modeling the growth of cancerous tumors without vessels using cellular automata: Considering the response of the immune system and the effect of extracellular matrix

In this paper, a possible cellular automata model for the development of a cancerous tumor without blood vessels has been implemented. In this model, the interaction between cancer cells is modeled with immune cells. Cellular automation uses four cellular states: proliferative cancer cells, immune-cellular cancer cells, cancer cells killed by the immune system and normal cells of the body. The results showed that the population growth chart was in accordance with the Gampartz diagram and the spatial distribution of cancer cells in the tumor was consistent with experimental results. Then, the effect of food deficiency on the added model and the effect of extracellular matrix as an effective parameter on tumor growth rate were investigated. Based on the results, the extracellular matrix results in a further reduction in tumor growth, and the population of the cells later reaches their stable state of equilibrium.