A demonstration that breast cancer recurrence can be predicted by neural network analysis

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1992;21(1):47-53. doi: 10.1007/BF01811963.

Abstract

Neural Network Analysis, a form of artificial intelligence, was successfully used to predict the clinical outcome of node-positive breast cancer patients. A Neural Network was trained to predict clinical outcome using prognostic information from 1008 patients. During training, the network received as input information tumor hormone receptor status, DNA index and S-phase determination by flow cytometry, tumor size, number of axillary lymph nodes involved with tumor, and age of the patient, as well as length of clinical followup, relapse status, and time of relapse. The ability of the trained Network to determine relapse probability was then validated in a separate set of 960 patients. The Neural Network was as powerful as Cox Regression Modeling in identifying breast cancer patients at high and low risk for relapse.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Axilla
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Decision Making, Computer-Assisted*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Metastasis*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local*
  • Neural Networks, Computer*
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Risk
  • Time Factors