Mathematical Modeling for Brain Tumors Including Fractional Operator 165
is motivated by their ease. Their relative simplicity makes it possible to de-
rive analytical solutions, which may be used to analytically characterize the
evolution of events.
Additionally, the flexibility of ODE-based models and the ability to fine-
tune their free parameters versus experimental data to represent various tu-
mor phases make them a good choice for supporting therapeutic recommenda-
tions. Nevertheless, there is disagreement about whether ODE-based model
is best suited for particular types of cancer. An inappropriate model selec-
tion may end up in significant variations in cancer predictions, indicating the
need for more study. Thus, ODE models for tumor development may be ex-
panded so that complexity is contained in simplicity, while maintaining their
deductive-reductionist features to better suit experimental data. Fractional
calculus examines integral calculus and non-integer order differential among
other mathematical options. The ability to handle unique behavior according
to an arbitrary degree of differentiation (or integration) is a characteristic
shared by fractional models, which broadens the application scope. Even in
comparatively smaller models, this is a crucial feature of non-integer order cal-
culus that makes it a fascinating instrument for reductionist methods. Addi-
tionally, the fundamental attributes of fractional calculus, such as its capacity
to indicate complex procedures like long-term memory and/or geographic het-
erogeneity, may enhance ODE-based tumor models. Fractional models have
gained popularity and been effectively used in a variety of fields, including
signal processing, thermoacoustics, economics, robotics, viscoelasticity, chem-
ical kinetics, electromagnetism, agricultural computing, and traffic control,
attributed to their many outstanding advantages [35–38]. As a matter of fact,
there is already what could be called “fractional mathematical oncology”—a
number of recent studies have used non-integer calculus to deal with vari-
ous aspects of cancer, such as the dynamics of chemotherapy, radiotherapy,
and immunotherapy, as well as numerical solutions and control for invasion
structures, bioengineering, and tumor growth [39–42]. As more research is
conducted in this field, fractional calculus may be supported as an alternative
reductionist phenomenological modeling (method) to study early avascular
general tumor growth controlled by ODEs [43–50]. The general form of tumor
development models driven by ODE equations are usually the following:
dV (t)
dt
= af(V (t)) −bg(V (t)),
(6.3)
where V (t) is tumor volume at a given time and t, dV (t)
dt
represents tumor
growth rate. Tumor growth is determined by a parameter called a, whereas
tumor size is constrained by a parameter called b. Functions f(V (t)) and
g(V (t)) define whether or not the model is logistic, exponential, or in some
other form.
For certain ordinary differential equations, models, differential equations,
maximum size, and growth conditions are provided, respectively in [51]: