Factors Affecting Surgical Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Martin Michael A, Meyricke Ramona, O'Neill Terry, Roberts Steven
Primary Institution: School of Finance and Applied Statistics, Australian National University
Hypothesis
What factors influence the choice between mastectomy and breast conserving surgery for breast cancer patients?
Conclusion
Classification trees are effective and interpretable tools for predicting surgical treatment choices in breast cancer patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Tumor size was the primary determinant of patient choice.
- Subjects with tumors smaller than 20 mm preferred breast conserving surgery.
- Classification trees provide a more interpretable model for treatment choice compared to logistic regression.
Takeaway
This study looks at why some women with breast cancer choose to have a mastectomy while others opt for breast conserving surgery. It finds that tumor size is the biggest factor in their decision.
Methodology
Data was extracted from the WA Cancer Registry and analyzed using classification trees and logistic regression.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients with very large tumors and reliance on historical data.
Limitations
Tree models can be unstable and may not capture global linear relationships.
Participant Demographics
Women diagnosed with breast cancer in Western Australia from 1990 to 2000.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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