Ensemble Deep-Learning-Enabled Clinical Decision Support System for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Classification on Ultrasound Images

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In the literature, there exist plenty of research works focused on the detection and classification of breast cancer. However, only a few works have focused on the classification of breast cancer using ultrasound scan images. Although deep transfer learning models are useful in breast cancer classification, owing to their outstanding performance in a number of applications, image pre-processing and segmentation techniques are essential. In this context, the current study developed a new Ensemble Deep-Learning-Enabled Clinical Decision Support System for the diagnosis and classification of breast cancer using ultrasound images. In the study, an optimal multi-level thresholding-based image segmentation technique was designed to identify the tumor-affected regions. The study also developed an ensemble of three deep learning models for feature extraction and an optimal machine learning classifier for breast cancer detection. The study offers a means of assisting radiologists and healthcare professionals in the breast cancer classification process. ABSTRACT: Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) provide an efficient way to diagnose the presence of diseases such as breast cancer using ultrasound images (USIs). Globally, breast cancer is one of the major causes of increased mortality rates among women. Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) models are widely employed in the detection and classification of tumors in USIs. The CAD systems are designed in such a way that they provide recommendations to help radiologists in diagnosing breast tumors and, furthermore, in disease prognosis. The accuracy of the classification process is decided by the quality of images and the radiologist’s experience. The design of Deep Learning (DL) models is found to be effective in the classification of breast cancer. In the current study, an Ensemble Deep-Learning-Enabled Clinical Decision Support System for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Classification (EDLCDS-BCDC) technique was developed using USIs. The proposed EDLCDS-BCDC technique was intended to identify the existence of breast cancer using USIs. In this technique, USIs initially undergo pre-processing through two stages, namely wiener filtering and contrast enhancement. Furthermore, Chaotic Krill Herd Algorithm (CKHA) is applied with Kapur’s entropy (KE) for the image segmentation process. In addition, an ensemble of three deep learning models, VGG-16, VGG-19, and SqueezeNet, is used for feature extraction. Finally, Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO) with the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model is utilized to classify the images based on whether breast cancer exists or not. A wide range of simulations were carried out on benchmark databases and the extensive results highlight the better outcomes of the proposed EDLCDS-BCDC technique over recent methods.