Targeting Tumors

Detection and treatment of cancer have progressed, but neither is as precise as
doctors would like. For example, tumors can change shape or location between
pre-operative diagnosis and treatment so that radiation is aimed at a target which
may have moved. Geometry, partial differential equations, and integer linear
programming are three areas of mathematics used to process data in real-time,
which allows doctors to inflict maximum damage to the tumor, with minimum
damage to healthy tissue.