Figure 6.
Simulations of immune-mediated tumour dormancy assuming the three fits for decay are applied to both the predation strength and the recruitment potential. Predation and recruitment are assumed to decay according to fit 1 in (a), fit 2 in (b) and fit 3 in (c) with initial values of μ = 10−3 and the initial predation strengths and timescales of the decays determined by the fit. Cancer–immune phase portraits for each fit are shown in (d–f). Note that as predation strength and recruitment decay together, the immune population cannot maintain the dormant state, but the two populations grow large together. After long time, however, the immune response returns to the homeostatic level since recruitment has become negligible. The escape time for each fit is indicated in the corresponding plot.