Computer Aided Characterization of Microcalcification Clusters in Mammograms

W. Veldkamp

• Promotor: C. Gielen
• Copromotor: N. Karssemeijer and J. Hendriks
• Graduation year: 2000
• Radboud University, Nijmegen

Abstract

To detect breast cancer as early as possible and hence to increase the survival chance, breast cancer screening programs have been introduced in a number of countries. One of the important radiologic tasks in the Dutch screening program is detection and characterization of microcalcification clusters. Clustered microcalcification may indicate breast cancer at an early stage, but 80% of the clusters encountered in the female breast are due to benign processes. This thesis describes methods for automated detection and characterization of microcalcification clusters. It is hoped that detection and characterization methods as described in this thesis can improve the diagnostic performance of radiologists in screening mammography.