Shaping the future of precision oncology: Integrating circadian medicine and mathematical models for personalized cancer treatment

Abstract

The growing numbers of cancer cases represent a medical and societal burden worldwide. More than half of all cancer patients are treated with chemotherapy. Yet, chemotherapeutic drugs kill not only cancer cells, but also healthy tissue, causing massive adverse side effects. Recent research on circadian medicine suggests that side-effects can be reduced, and treatment efficacy increased, by considering the biological clock of patients. Integrating circadian profiles of molecular clock markers in personalized mathematical models can simulate individual circadian dynamics of drug uptake, drug action and cellular response to chemotherapy. This requires advanced computational tools that balance prediction quality with overfitting. Personalized mathematical models will eventually lead to an optimal alignment of treatment timing with the inner circadian clock of the patient, reducing side effects, increasing efficacy and enhancing patient well-being.