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. 2010 Jan 5;10:3. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-10-3

Table 2.

Model Assumptions For An Average Repair Proficient Colorectal Cancer

Parameter Assumptions Comments
driver mutations or rate-limiting stages (k) the same for all cancers, transformation or growth does not occur until all driver mutations accumulate value is unknown and is inferred to fit the epidemiology, growth is likely to precede transformation but most mutations likely accumulate in normal stem cells

number of crypts (m) does not change during life crypt number may vary between individuals

stem cells per crypt (n) does not change during life value is unknown (minimum of one per crypt), inferred to fit the epidemiology.

mutation rate (u) does not change during life value may differ between genes but is ~10-10 to 10-9 per base per division

stem cell divisions since birth (d) constant division rate during life value is unknown but may be as high as once per day [13]

probability of cancer (p) no significant time between transformation and diagnosis data from cancer epidemiology, lag time may vary between patients