ABSTRACT
Interactive segmentation algorithms should respond within seconds and require minimal user guidance. This is a challenge on 3D neural electron microscopy images. We propose a supervoxel-based energy function with a novel background prior that achieves these goals. This is verified by extensive experiments with a robot mimicking human interactions. A graphical user interface offering access to an open source implementation of these algorithms is made available.
Subject(s)
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods , Microscopy, Electron/methods , Algorithms , Computer Graphics , Computer Simulation , Electrons , Humans , Models, Statistical , Software , User-Computer InterfaceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To collect oncologists' experience and opinion on adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was circulated among the members of the Breast International Group. RESULTS: A total of 277 oncologists from 28 countries participated in the survey. Seventy years is the age cut-off commonly used to define a patient as elderly. Biological age and the biological characteristics of the tumor are the most frequently used criteria to propose adjuvant chemotherapy to an elderly patient. Combination therapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil on days 1 and 8 is the most frequently prescribed regimen. Great interest exists in oral chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: There is interest among those who responded to the survey to validate a comprehensive geriatric assessment for use as a predictive instrument of toxicity and/or activity of anticancer therapy and to evaluate the role of a treatment option that is potentially less toxic and possibly as effective as polychemotherapy.
Subject(s)
Aging , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Breast Neoplasms/surgery , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage , Female , Fluorouracil/administration & dosage , Geriatric Assessment , Health Care Surveys , Humans , Medical Oncology/statistics & numerical data , Methotrexate/administration & dosage , Patient Care Planning , Predictive Value of TestsABSTRACT
The Breast International Group (B.I.G.-aisbl), an official non-profit organisation since 1999, is an association whose members are well established clinical breast cancer research groups located around the world. Inspired by the American 'Intergroup' model, B.I.G. functions as a 'consortium of consortia': it is a partnership among independent co-operative groups, each with its own extensive network of affiliated centres, hospitals, laboratories and investigators. Through B.I.G., groups draw on combined resources to reduce the wasteful duplication of efforts and to achieve results in breast cancer research impossible for any individual group in a comparable period of time. International collaboration through a mechanism like B.I.G. will become increasingly frequent in the future, especially as we move towards exploring therapies targeted at subgroups of patients with specific tumour molecular profiles.
