title: Modelling ordinal relations with SVMs: An application to objective aesthetic evaluation of breast cancer conservative treatment.
abstract: The cosmetic result is an important endpoint for breast cancer conservative treatment (BCCT), but the verification of this outcome remains without a standard. Objective assessment methods are preferred to overcome the drawbacks of subjective evaluation. In this paper a novel algorithm is proposed, based on support vector machines, for the classification of ordinal categorical data. This classifier is then applied as a new methodology for the objective assessment of the aesthetic result of BCCT. Based on the new classifier, a semi-objective score for quantification of the aesthetic results of BCCT was developed, allowing the discrimination of patients into four classes.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, INESC, Porto, Portugal. jaime.cardoso@inescporto.pt
authors.forename: Jaime S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Joaquim F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pinto da Costa
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016896:Treatment Outcome