[Computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer]

Abstract

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is generally defined as a diagnosis made by a radiologist who takes into account computer output as a "second opinion". The computer output usually indicates the location of suspicious lesions such as microcalcifications or masses in mammograms, and also provides quantitative analysis of potential lesions, yielding measures such as the likelihood of malignancy. The purpose of CAD is to improve diagnostic accuracy and the consistency of radiologists' image interpretation by using such computer output as a guide. This article provides a brief overview of some CAD schemes used for breast cancer.