Expert systems and the pancreatic cancer problem: decision support in the pre-operative diagnosis

KADIS: model-aided education in type I diabetes. Karlsburg Diabetes Management System

Education and training in self-management of blood glucose control has become a permanent task for all people involved in the care of diabetic patients. Since this may be facilitated by applying state-of-the-art information technology, we have developed the decision support system KADIS (Karlsburg Diabetes Management System). It comprises computer-aided tools for (1) the evaluation (selection, aggregation, storage, statistics, graphics) of therapeutic data, e.g. from patients' logbooks, and (2) the simulation of daily profiles of glycaemia and insulinaemia on the basis of a mathematical model of the glucose-insulin regulatory system, parameters of which can be adapted to the characteristics of individual patients. The latter tool allows the patient to predict his response to any modification in the therapeutic regime and to learn how variations in timing, formulation and doses of insulin, in carbohydrate equivalents and absorption characteristics of meals, and in exercise may influence the daily pattern in glycaemia. This procedure has been well accepted as an educational tool by those patients who were 'self-managing' their metabolic control.

Role of optimal control theory in cancer chemotherapy

This paper presents a review of the ways in which optimal control theory interacts with cancer chemotherapy. There are three broad areas of investigation. One involves miscellaneous growth kinetic models, the second involves cell cycle models, and the third is a classification of "other models." Both normal and tumor cell populations are included in a number of the models. The concepts of deterministic optimal control theory are applied to each model in such a way as to present a cohesive picture. There are applications to both experimental and clinical tumors. Suggestions for designing better chemotherapy strategies are presented.