title: Evaluation of a breast cancer computer aided diagnosis system.
abstract: Mammography is accepted as the most effective method to detect breast cancer. However, interpreting a mammogram is not easy for not experienced radiologists. The aim of computer aided detection techniques in breast cancer is to improve the chance that a malignant region is detected and appropriately evaluated. Breast microcalcifications have been considered as a very useful index of malignancy, which helps in the early detection of breast cancer. A system of computer aided diagnosis has been developed that is based on detailed analysis and evaluation of related features of individual microcalcifications and of formed clusters helping the doctor to make risk estimation for each microcalcification cluster as well as for isolated microcalcifications. This information is considered to be very useful to radiologists, giving them extra input before making their estimation of each case. The aforementioned system has been thoroughly tested using a number of real life cases provided from collaborating doctors. Each case, apart from the mammograms, was accompanied by a biopsy test result, the patient's demographic data and medical history. A total of 200 cases (147 benign and 53 malignant) have been examined and the results are presented as the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) performance and are quantified using the ROC curve. The system is showing high levels of sensitivity identifying correctly all malignant cases.
authors.affiliation: Academy of Athens, Informatics Laboratory.
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigas
authors.forename: Smaragdo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kapsimalakou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spyrou
authors.forename: Kostantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koufopoulos
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vassilaros
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatzimichael
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mantas
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ligomenides
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002114:Calcinosis; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged