The use of an interactive software program for quantitative characterization of microcalcifications on digitized film-screen mammograms.
OBJECTIVE
Mammography is relatively nonspecific for the early detection of breast cancer. This study evaluates the accuracy of mammographic interpretation using quantitative features characterizing microcalcifications, which are extracted by a computerized system.


METHODS
A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system enabling digitization of film-screen mammograms and automatic feature extraction was developed. A classification scheme (discriminant analysis) based on these features was constructed and trained on 217 cases with known pathology. The diagnostic performance of the classification scheme was tested against the radiologist's conventional interpretation on 45 additional cases of microcalcifications, each analyzed independently by four radiologists.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of the CAD system analysis (95.7%) was significantly better than that of conventional interpretation (84.8%). The positive predictive value of interpretation increased significantly, as did the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.


CONCLUSIONS
This classification scheme for microcalcifications, based on quantitative features characterizing the lesion, significantly improved the accuracy of mammographic interpretation.
Leichter
I
I
Department of Electro-Optics, Jerusalem College of Technology, Israel.
Lederman
R
R
Bamberger
P
P
Novak
B
B
Fields
S
S
Buchbinder
S S
SS
D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens