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Tumour Growth
The threshold of clinical detection of a tumour is 1 cm = 1g = 1billion cells.
The lethal tumour burden is approximately 1 kg = 1 trillion cells - there is only a 3 log difference between earliest clinically detectable and lethal tumour burden
Gompertzian model
In this model the tumour growth over time follows a sigmoid curve. As the tumour grows, the doubling time increases and the growth fraction decreases. Even though early growth is exponential and becomes slower over time cells accumulate slowly at first when few are dividing. The maximum growth rate is at approximately 1/3 of maximal tumour volume and slows to a plateau near lethal tumour volume. This is consistent with the sense that tumours appear to grow more quickly once detected.
