abstract = "Despite important advances in cancer research in
recent decades, an accurate diagnosis and prognosis of
cancer remains a formidable challenge to date. In this
dissertation, several bioinformatics analyses have been
developed for identifying new diagnostic/prognostic
signatures using datasets derived from recent
high-throughput screening techniques including DNA and
protein microarray. In the first analysis we derived an
outcome signature from estrogen signalling pathway to
predict breast cancer prognosis. This signature
successfully predicted patient outcome in multiple
patient cohorts as well as ER+ and tamoxifen-treated
sub-cohorts. The second part of my thesis focused on
applying genetic programming for cancer classification.
This approach can automatically select a handful of
discriminative genes from gene expression data and
produce comprehensible yet efficient rule-based
classifiers. In the third analysis, we developed
non-invasive diagnostic tools for prostate cancer
diagnosis. Two different signatures were yielded from
phage peptide microarray system and q-PCR urinary data,
respectively. These signatures have the potential to
improve specificity and sensitivity of prostate cancer
diagnosis. Last, an integrative model was developed for
culling a molecular signature of metastatic progression
in prostate cancer from proteomic and transcriptomic
data. Differential proteomic alterations between
localised and metastatic prostate cancer, which were
concordant with transcriptomic data, served as a
predictor of clinical outcome in prostate cancer. This
signature was also predictive of clinical outcome on
other solid tumours, suggesting common molecular
machinery in aggressive neoplasms. In summary, these
bioinformatics analyses of cancer 'omics' data have led
to several important findings that may ameliorate
cancer diagnosis and prognosis.",
notes = "The genetic programming part should be in Chapter 4
(page 69)