Computer-Aided Detection Helps Predict Early Signs Of Breast Cancer

New findings published in the journal Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics show that a new form of technology can help to predict if and when breast cancer will appear.

"We're creating a breast cancer risk analysis system," said electrical engineer Wei Qian, Ph.D., who runs UTEP's Medical Imaging Informatics Lab, in a  news release. "It will be able to inform doctors about the patient's risk of developing cancer within a few years."

The computer-aided detection system was found successful in early studies with a 70 percent accuracy rate in predicting which female participants might develop breast cancer in their next mammogram and which women would not. With this, researchers were expecting to save some women from getting unnecessary testing done, including their annual mammogram, according to researchers.

"For low risk populations, it would be better to increase the interval between their screenings," added Wenqing Sun, a doctoral student in electrical engineering at UTEP. "Mammograms frequently generate false positives and can be an unnecessary mental burden."

As breast density is an important factor in predicting the risk of breast cancer, risk factor evaluation would involve a woman receiving regular mammograms with X-ray images run through the system and analyzing multiple features including texture and breast density.

That's why the technology would be so critical. It could help calculate density and highlight suspicious areas that are extremely dense found in the breast tissues, alerting the doctor of any differences between the two breasts.

"Breasts are naturally symmetrical," Qian said. "But if there's a loss of balance between the two, that could signify a high possibility that a change is occurring."

Breast specialists also recommend that women who are at higher risk of breast cancer receive mammograms more aggressively, including one every six months instead of year. Furthermore, those who have a low risk of developing cancer in the next one to two years could be advised to return for a mammogram every two to three years.