A novel framework to elucidate core classes in a dataset

In this paper we present an original framework to extract representative groups from a dataset, and we validate it over a novel case study. The framework specifies the application of different clustering algorithms, then several statistical and visualisation techniques are used to characterise the results, and core classes are defined by consensus clustering. Classes may be verified using supervised classification algorithms to obtain a set of rules which may be useful for new data points in the future. This framework is validated over a novel set of histone markers for breast cancer patients. From a technical perspective, the resultant classes are well separated and characterised by low, medium and high levels of biological markers. Clinically, the groups appear to distinguish patients with poor overall survival from those with low grading score and better survival. Overall, this framework offers a promising methodology for elucidating core consensus groups from data. © 2010 IEEE.