Artificial Intelligence For Breast Cancer Detection: Trends & Directions

Abstract: In the last decade, researchers working in the domain of computer vision and AI have beefed up their efforts to come up with the automated framework that not only detects but also identifies stage of breast cancer. The reason for this surge in research activities in this direction are mainly due to advent of robust AI algorithms (deep learning), availability of hardware that can train those robust and complex AI algorithms and accessibility of large enough dataset required for training AI algorithms. Different imaging modalities that have been exploited by researchers to automate the task of breast cancer detection are mammograms, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, histopathological images or any combination of them. This article analyzes these imaging modalities and presents their strengths, limitations and enlists resources from where their datasets can be accessed for research purpose. This article then summarizes AI and computer vision based state-of-the-art methods proposed in the last decade, to detect breast cancer using various imaging modalities. Generally, in this article we have focused on to review frameworks that have reported results using mammograms as it is most widely used breast imaging modality that serves as first test that medical practitioners usually prescribe for the detection of breast cancer. Second reason of focusing on mammogram imaging modalities is the availability of its labeled datasets. Datasets availability is one of the most important aspect for the development of AI based frameworks as such algorithms are data hungry and generally quality of dataset affects performance of AI based algorithms. In a nutshell, this research article will act as a primary resource for the research community working in the field of automated breast imaging analysis.