Analysis of entropy generation for diagnosis of acute Myeloid Leukemia and its effects on life expectancy

Classical Thermodynamics deals with equilibrium conditions and the macroscopic properties that characterize the states of systems, quantifying the main processes of matter and energy exchange. This field is present in the biological sciences through various analyses of processes intrinsic to the human body, such as energy conversions and thermal exchanges with the surrounding environment. By analyzing entropy (or exergy) and its transfers, this study seeks to compare the behavior of healthy cells with that of cancerous cells using the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Assuming that cancerous cells generate more entropy than healthy cells, it is possible to propose early diagnosis of cancer-related pathologies by monitoring entropy generation. Aiming to collect information on entropy generation, this study analyzes cases of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, in which the cancer spreads in the bone marrow, suggesting genetic mutations in patients' stem cells that lead to rapid multiplication of diseased blood cells. A data platform called Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments, abbreviated as TARGET, was found in the literature, from which treatment and patient survival indicators were obtained. These patients were used as a basis for a preliminary assessment of metabolism and thermodynamic parameters. With this information, it was possible to apply the Second Law of Thermodynamics, obtaining entropic data on the body's metabolism and outlining a scenario for the entropy generation rate as a function of the healthy patient's age. A healthy man generates 11.778 MJ/kg·K (and destroys 3571 MJ/kg of exergy), while a healthy woman generates 12.725 MJ/kg·K (and destroys 3856 MJ/kg). Finally, the study aims to evaluate the relationship between life expectancy and entropy generation using the proposed data analysis, enabling an understanding of how the occurrence of the discussed pathology influences the patient's life expectancy. Untreated patients may shorten life expectancy by less than 5 years, depending on the severity and growth rate.