Reconstruction-independent 3D CAD for mass detection in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis using fuzzy particles

摘要

In this paper we present a novel approach for mass detection in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) datasets. A reconstruction-independent approach, working directly on the projected views, is proposed. Wavelet filter responses on the projections are thresholded and combined to obtain candidate masses. For each candidate, we create a fuzzy contour through a multi-level thresholding process. We introduce a fuzzy set definition for the class mass contour that allows the computation of fuzzy membership values for each candidate contour. Then, an aggregation operator is presented that combines information over the complete set of projected views, resulting in 3D fuzzy particles. A final decision is made taking into account all available information. The performance of the presented algorithm was evaluated on a database of 11 one-breast-cases resulting in a sensitivity (Se) of 0.86 and a false positive rate (FPR) of 3.5 per case.