Informal seminar series on numerical analysis and applied mathematics aimed at students.
The aim of the meetings is to present numerical analysis research topics in an accessible manner and to involve interested students. The seminars will have an introductory first part and will also be accessible to those unfamiliar with the subject. They will be held mainly in Italian, in line with the informal tone of the series.
Master’s students and Bachelor’s students who are familiar with the contents of the Scientific Computing course are encouraged to attend.
Organised by PhD students from the University of Pisa and the Scuola Normale Superiore.
4.30 pm – 12 December 2024
Francesca Ballatore (Politecnico di Torino)
Aula Seminari, Dipartimento di Matematica
Modelling brain tumour growth and ventricle deformation: a patient-specific numerical approach
Brain tumours represent one of the most complex challenges in medicine due to their often unpredictable localisation and variable malignancy. In particular, brain tumours are known for their aggressive spread, which hinders the efficacy of standard treatments. The growth of the tumour mass causes compression and displacement of surrounding healthy tissues, potentially altering the volume of cerebral ventricles and leading to increased intracranial pressure, which may result in severe neurological complications. Currently, the therapeutic protocol for brain tumours involves surgical resection, followed, if necessary, by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
In this work, we propose a multiphase mechanical model to describe brain tumour growth, quantifying the deformations and solid stresses induced by tumour expansion. The model accounts for the influence of white matter fibre directions, which guide the tumour’s anisotropic growth. To construct realistic three-dimensional brain geometries and accurately represent the ventricles, the model incorporates patient-specific data obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Through these integrations, the model enables an analysis of the mechanical impact of tumour growth on ventricular compression and adjacent healthy brain tissue.
The numerical results obtained through finite element simulations using the FEniCS software demonstrate the model’s accuracy in reproducing the complex dynamics of tumour growth and its mechanical impact on surrounding brain tissues. The insights provided by the model can support the development of targeted and personalised therapeutic strategies, improving the clinical management of patients with brain tumours.
[1] F. Ballatore, G. Lucci, and C. Giverso. “Modelling and simulation of anisotropic growth in brain tumours through poroelasticity: A study of ventricular compression and therapeutic protocols”. In: Computational Mechanics (2024).
[2] F. Ballatore, G. Lucci, A. Borio, and C. Giverso. “An imaging-informed mechanical framework to provide a quantitative description of brain tumour growth and the subsequent deformation of white matter tracts”. In: Mathematical Models and Computer Simulations for Biomedical Applications.
Ed. by G. Bretti, R. Natalini, P. Palumbo, and L. Preziosi. Springer Series, 2023.
TBA
