An Optimal Framework Based on the GentleBoost Algorithm and Bayesian Optimization for the Prediction of Breast Cancer Patients' Survivability

Abstract

Breast cancer is a primary cause of cancer-associated mortality among women globally, and early detection and personalized treatment are critical for improving patient outcomes. In this study, we propose an optimal framework for predicting breast cancer patient survivability using the GentleBoost algorithm and Bayesian optimization. The proposed framework combines the strengths of the GentleBoost algorithm, which is a powerful machine-learning algorithm for classification, and Bayesian optimization, which is a powerful optimization technique for hyperparameter tuning. We evaluated the proposed framework using the publicly available breast cancer dataset provided by The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and compared its performance with several popular single algorithms, including support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN), and k-nearest neighbors (KNN). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework outperforms these methods in terms of accuracy (mean= 95.16%, best = 95.35, worst = 95.1%, and SD = 0.008). The values of precision, recall, and f1-score of the best experiment were 92.3 %, 98.2 %, and 95.2 %, respectively, with hyperparameters of (number of learners = 246, learning rate = 0.0011, and maximum number of splits = 1240). The proposed framework has the potential to improve breast cancer patient survival predictions and personalized treatment plans, leading to the improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.