Sample A: Cover Page of Thesis, Project, or Dissertation Proposal

Figure 4.5: Kaplan-Meyer survival curves for Osteopontin. ProbeSet 34342_s_at (SPP1) survival rates
with respect to stage progression. The significance of the osteopontin expression levels is presented in the
sub label along the x-axis: RMA came the closest to a p-value of 0.05. The cutoffs in the legends represent
the log expression threshold which divides the sub-populations. Note that in the far right graph dCHIP
signal interpretation of the data an individual stage I patient has switched patient groups, having an
expression level above the 7.24 cut-off.
After examining the differences in survival statistics and taking into account the relatively
elevated expression level of osteopontin in the three previously mentioned normal samples, we
further divided the data. Support for this decision can be found in the maximum tumor pathology
as reported by Bhattacharjee, et al. in the supplementary data to that article [3]. A mean cut-off
of 75% tumor pathology was established; the consequent associations between osteopontin
expression level, tumor pathology, and stage are presented in Figures 4.6 and 4.7. Figure 4.6 is
the level of osteopontin expression compared to patient survival for patients with greater than
103