Mathematical modeling of wound healing and tumor growth: Two sides of the same coin

Over the last thirty years or so, mathematical biology, i.e. the application of mathematics and mathematical techniques to problems arising in biology, has grown rapidly as a subject in its own right. In more recent years a very important subset of biomathematics which has emerged may be defined as "theoretical medicine" i.e. the application of mathematical techniques and modeling skills to problems arising specifically from the medical sciences. Applications of mathematics are to be found in areas such as biomechanics, modeling the heart, modeling the cardiovascular system, pharmacokinetics, chemotherapy and epidemiology to name but a few. In this article we wish to discuss the contribution that mathematical modeling has been making recently in modeling two very important processes - tumor growth and development and wound healing or tissue repair - and to present an overview of articles in these areas as well as focus on specific models of angiogenesis, a crucial part of both processes.