Bifurcation for a free boundary problem modeling the growth of tumors with a drug induced nonlinear proliferation rate

In this paper, we study a free boundary model describing growth of tumors under action of drugs. To our knowledge, in theoretical discussion for free boundary problems, the proliferation rate in tumor models discussed in previous bifurcation results is a linear function of nutrients and inhibitors. Whereas in this paper we consider the net proliferation rate as a nonlinear function depending on both nutrients and drugs. First, the existence and the uniqueness of radially symmetric stationary solutions are obtained. Second, we prove that symmetry-breaking solutions bifurcate from the radially symmetric stationary solutions when the concentration of drug on the boundary of tumor is less than one in the resealed model. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.