A novel visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging platform for automated breast-cancer detection

Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Early and accurate detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Our study utilizes Visible and Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging (VIS-NIR HSI), a promising non-invasive technique, to detect cancerous regions in ex-vivo breast specimens based on their hyperspectral response. Methods: In this paper, we present a novel HSI platform integrated with fuzzy c-means clustering for automated breast cancer detection. We acquire hyperspectral data from breast tissue samples, and preprocess it to reduce noise and enhance hyperspectral features. Fuzzy c-means clustering is then applied to segment cancerous regions based on their spectral characteristics. Results: Our approach demonstrates promising results. We evaluated the quality of the clustering using metrics like Silhouette Index (SI), Davies-Bouldin Index (DBI), and Calinski-Harabasz Index (CHI). The clustering metrics results revealed an optimal number of 6 clusters for breast tissue classification, and the SI values ranged from 0.68 to 0.72, indicating well-separated clusters. Moreover, the CHI values showed that the clusters were well-defined, and the DBI values demonstrated low cluster dispersion. Additionally, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of our system were evaluated on a dataset of breast tissue samples. We achieved an average sensitivity of 96.83%, specificity of 93.39%, and accuracy of 95.12%. These results indicate the effectiveness of our HSI-based approach in distinguishing cancerous and non-cancerous regions. Conclusions: The paper introduces a robust hyperspectral imaging platform coupled with fuzzy c-means clustering for automated breast cancer detection. The clustering metrics results support the reliability of our approach in effectively segmenting breast tissue samples. In addition, the system shows high sensitivity and specificity, making it a valuable tool for early-stage breast cancer diagnosis. This innovative approach holds great potential for improving breast cancer screening and, thereby, enhancing our understanding of the disease and its detection patterns.