Next Generation Modeling of Glioblastoma Progression: Diffusing Through Time and Brain

Abstract In the momentous tide of advanced medical physics and neuroimaging capabilities that have transformed neurological and neurosurgical clinical practice and research, it is crucial to mobilize this effort against incurable pathologies, such as glioblastoma (GBM). GBM is a malignant WHO Grade 4 brain tumor that inevitably recurs post‐operatively and is fatal. With diffusion tensor imaging, tumor cells' occult infiltration of white matter tracts in the brain can be detected, with insight into the trajectory that GBM progression will take. However, an extra step is needed to predict that trajectory, which is a separate endeavor from only visualizing it. Mathematical modeling of glioma cell “diffusion” within the brain has been broadly reported, but with limited practical application. To improve predictive modeling for refining treatment, diffusion is reviewed from a physics and mathematical framework, beginning with contributions from Joseph Fourier and proceeding to the modern day. This review then focuses on drawing a distinctive connection to advanced medical physics and neuroimaging capabilities and how they can be operationalized to better model GBM progression.