Knowledge discovery processing and data mining in karyometry.
OBJECTIVE
To present the rationale for applying different sequences of multivariate analysis algorithms to determine if and where, in the large and high-dimensional data space, events have led to change in karyometric features.


METHODS
Clinical materials and results from the analysis of 4 studies were used: the demonstration of chemopreventive efficacy of letrozole in a situation where only a small subset of cells is affected, the detection of a preneoplastic lesion in colorectal tissue, data processing to document clues that predict risk of recurrence of a bladder lesion and the use of metafeatures and second-order discriminant analysis in a study of efficacy of vitamin A in the chemoprevention of skin lesions.


RESULTS
Evidence for chemopreventive efficacy was demonstrated in the first example only after processing identified the small subpopulation of affected nuclei in a study of breast epithelial cells. Detection of a preneoplastic development is linked to a progression curve connecting nuclei from normal tissue to nuclei from premalignant colorectal lesions. The prediction of risk of recurrence of papillary bladder lesions is possible by detecting changes in nuclei of a certain phenotype. Efficacy of vitamin A as a chemopreventive agent for skin cancer could be demonstrated with a dose-response curve after a second-order discriminant analysis was employed.


CONCLUSIONS
In none of these instances would the information of biologic interest have been revealed by a straightforward, single algorithmic analysis.
Bartels
Peter H
PH
College of Optical Sciences and Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724-5024, USA.
Montironi
Rodolfo
R
Scarpelli
Marina
M
Bartels
Hubert G
HG
Alberts
David S
DS
D000465:Algorithms; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007620:Karyometry; D000077289:Letrozole; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D009570:Nitriles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077289:Letrozole