Phenotypic heterogeneity in a model of tumor growth: existence of solutions and incompressible limit

Abstract

We consider a (degenerate) cross-diffusion model of tumor growth structured by phenotypic trait. We prove the existence of weak solutions and the incompressible limit as the pressure becomes stiff extending methods recently introduced in the context of two-species cross-diffusion systems. In the stiff-pressure limit, the compressible model generates a free boundary problem of Hele-Shaw type. Moreover, we prove a new L4-bound on the pressure gradient.