A new and effective feature ensemble with a multistage classification is proposed to be implemented in a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for breast cancer diagnosis. A publicly available mammogram image dataset collected during the Image Retrieval in Medical Applications (IRMA) project is utilized to verify the suggested feature ensemble and multistage classification. In achieving the CAD system, feature extraction is performed on the mammogram region of interest (ROI) images which are preprocessed by applying a histogram equalization followed by a nonlocal means filtering. The proposed feature ensemble is formed by concatenating the local configuration pattern-based, statistical, and frequency domain features. The classification process of these features is implemented in three cases: a one-stage study, a two-stage study, and a three-stage study. Eight well-known classifiers are used in all cases of this multistage classification scheme. Additionally, the results of the classifiers that provide the top three performances are combined via a majority voting technique to improve the recognition accuracy on both two- and three-stage studies. A maximum of 85.47%, 88.79%, and 93.52% classification accuracies are attained by the one-, two-, and three-stage studies, respectively. The proposed multistage classification scheme is more effective than the single-stage classification for breast cancer diagnosis.
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