Image data processing to increase follow-up analysis fidelity

An image processing system, the image processing system comprising:

• one or more memory structures storing processor-executable code;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the one or more memory structures, wherein the processor-executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
• receiving a set of corresponding image sub-volumes comprising a first image sub-volume and a second image sub-volume, wherein the first image sub-volume and the second image sub-volume of the set comprises a corresponding region of interest having a lesion, and wherein the first image sub-volume and the second image sub-volume are of a same subject but acquired at different times;
• calculating a structural similarity metric and a lesion sharpness metric between the first image sub-volume and the second image sub-volume;
• determining a lesion-tracking fidelity metric based on the structural similarity metric and the lesion sharpness metric, wherein the lesion-tracking fidelity metric is configured to identify a transformation function that can be utilized to generate a new image sub-volume pair from a given image sub-volume pair to improve structural similarity between the sub-volume pairs while maintaining or improving lesion sharpness;
• varying one or more parameters of an image processing routine or routines;
• calculating the lesion-tracking fidelity metric for each variation of the image processing routine or routines as applied to the set of corresponding image sub-volumes;
• and
• selecting a respective image processing routine from among the variations of the image processing routine or routines based upon the calculated lesion-tracking fidelity metrics.