Interactive derivation of survival from tumor growth

Cancer starts when a normal cell becomes malignant and a tumor is born. Tumor progression is described by the Gompertz function. Obviously tumor determines the fate of the patient. We may therefore ask what is the relationship  between tumor growth and patient survival?
Or more generally how does tumor growth shape epidemiological functions? After all tumor growth is their common denominator.

Epidemiology does not forward any explanation about the tumor-survival relationship. So let’s study this relationship together, you and I. You are invited to  study with me the Gompertz growth curve of a tumor with the Mathematica CDF player. With the aid of this player we shall examine the relationship between tomor growth and survival.

 Two processes determine patient’s survival: Tumor growth  velocity (rate) and  host resistance  Cancer is an interaction between organism and tumor. Most epidemiologists lack this simple insight which you got from the player. They believe that only the tumor shapes survival curves. According to the medical dogma tumor encroaches on a passive and helpless host. Which is false!  In the organism tumors never grow exponentially! It is a law!

According to the medical dogma there is nothing in cancer except the tumor. Cancer and tumor are synonyms. In reality cancer is an interaction between organism and tumor. Actually organism even controls tumor growth.

All along cancer progression organism learns to control its tumor more effectively.  It learns how to induce tumor dormancy and prolong it. The nature of this control is still unknown. Yet epidemiological statistics like the survival curve indicate that it operates in all cancers.

Our task is to harness it during therapy