The Application of Differing Machine Learning Algorithms and Their Related Performance in Detecting Skin Cancers and Melanomas

Skin cancer, and its less common form melanoma, is a disease affecting a wide variety of people. Since it is usually detected initially by visual inspection, it makes for a good candidate for the application of machine learning. With early detection being key to good outcomes, any method that can enhance the diagnostic accuracy of dermatologists and oncologists is of significant interest. When comparing different existing implementations of machine learning against public datasets and several we seek to create, we attempted to create a more accurate model that can be readily adapted to use in clinical settings. We tested combinations of models, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and various layers of data manipulation, such as the application of Gaussian functions and trimming of images to improve accuracy. We also created more traditional data models, including support vector classification, K-nearest neighbor, Naïve Bayes, random forest, and gradient boosting algorithms, and compared them to the CNN-based models we had created. Results had indicated that CNN-based algorithms significantly outperformed other data models we had created. Partial results of this work were presented at the CSET Presentations for Research Month at the Minnesota State University, Mankato.