Purpose
In this paper we describe a method to compare left and right mammographic views of the same patient as in CC and as MLO projection. The proposed solution uses the symmetry properties of the breast and compute a geometric transformation that permits to represent the two images in comparable coordinates systems. Through this method, potential pathological ROIs detected in one of the projections are compared both with the same region internally randomized as the symmetric region in the second view. The method is applied on...
Methods and Materials
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women world-wide, with an estimated 1.050.000 new cases in 2000 [i].Early detection is the most effective way to reduce its incidence. The regular mammographic screening of asymptomatic patients is the best way to detect this pathology accurately in its early stages.A couple of mammograms is usually produced for both right and left breasts: the Cranio-Caudal (CC) and the Middle-Lateral Oblique (MLO) views; also, these mammograms can be analysed either individually or as couple for temporal or bilateral...
Results
The acquired informations by the simulation process have been used to extract data by the mammographic images. In particular, a selected ROIp (p=potentially pathological) in one of the pair projections (RCC/LCC, RMLO/LMLO) have been compared with the exactly symmetrical areas in the other projection of the same pair, obtained after an scale elastic transformation, resulting in projections overlapping of the same pair.Through the choice of a correct Fcutoff, determined in the simulation process, it is possible a comparison between ROIpr (pr=pathological randomized) and ROIs (s=symmetrical)...
Conclusion
In this paper, we described a method to compare CC or MLO, left and right, breast images of the same patient for false positive reduction. Particularly, the developed method computes a geometric transformation bringing the symmetry axis of the two mammogram to overlap; then, through suitable user defined landmarks it computes a scale transformation that takes into account the breast deformation of one of the view with respect the other.The geometrical transformations returned by this method have been used to operate a false positives number...
References
[i] P. Boyle, ME Leon, P. Maisonneuve and P. Autier, “Cancer control in Women. Update 2003”, International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 83, Supplement 1, 179-202, (October 2002).[ii] R. Bellotti, F. De Carlo, S. Tangaro, G. Gargano, G. Maggipinto, M. Castellano, R.Massafra, D. Cascio, F. Fauci, R. Magro, G. Raso, A. Lauria, G. Forni, S. Bagnasco, P.Cerello, E. Zanon, S.C.Cheran, E. Lopez Torres, U. Bottigli, G.L. Masala, P. Oliva, A.Retico, M.E. Fantacci, R. Cataldo, I. De Mitri, G. De Nunzio “A Completely Automated Cad System...