Can We Use Adaptive Hormone Game Theory in Breast Cancer?

Hormone-driven cancers, such as prostate and breast cancer, exhibit complex dynamics influenced by competing populations of hormone-sensitive and resistant cells. In prostate cancer, drugs like abiraterone suppress testosterone production, depriving hormone-sensitive cells of their key growth signal and driving their eventual death. However, this also creates an evolutionary opportunity for resistant cells to dominate, leading to treatment failure. Building on these insights, we investigate whether adaptive therapy principles can be extended to breast cancer by regulating the growth of the sensitive and resistant cells. Using a Stackelberg game framework, with the oncologist acting as the "game leader," we model the interplay between sensitive and resistant cancer cells under drug administration. Preliminary findings suggest that carefully balancing sensitive and resistant populations can improve disease control, potentially transforming cancers such as breast cancer and prostate cancer into chronic conditions. Our study highlights the potential of adaptive hormone game theory as a generalizable framework for managing hormone-driven cancers.