Breast cancer detection system, breast cancer detection method, breast cancer detection program, and computer-readable recording medium having breast cancer detection program recorded thereon

A breast cancer detection method for detecting an architectural distortion of the mammary gland included in an X-ray image of the breast, comprising:

• a model calculating step of allowing a computer to calculate a normal architecture model of the mammary gland that scatters in a fan shape from the nipple toward the greater pectoral muscle with respect to the X-ray image of the breast;
• an orientation extracting step of allowing the computer to extract an orientation of linear components of an image texture of a region that form a shape of a shadow in the X-ray image of the breast;
• and
• a lesion determining step of allowing the computer to compare the orientation of the mammary gland in the normal architecture model calculated by the model calculating step and the orientation extracted by the orientation extracting step with respect to a region of interest in the X-ray image of the breast including architectural distortion candidates of the mammary gland detected by preprocessing to calculate a feature quantity based on a difference between the orientations and determine whether the candidates are an architectural distortion of the mammary gland based on the feature quantity.

A breast cancer detection program for detecting an architectural distortion of the mammary gland included in an X-ray image of the breast, the program causing a computer to function as:

• a model calculating means that calculates a normal architecture model of the mammary gland that scatters in a fan shape from the nipple toward the greater pectoral muscle with respect to the X-ray image of the breast;
• an orientation extracting means that extracts orientations of linear components of an image texture of a region that form a shape of a shadow in the X-ray image of the breast;
• and
• a lesion determining means that compares the orientation of the mammary gland in the normal architecture model calculated by the model calculating means and the orientation extracted by the orientation extracting means with respect to a region of interest in the X-ray image of the breast including architectural distortion candidates of the mammary gland detected by preprocessing to calculate a feature quantity based on a difference between the orientations and determines whether the candidates are an architectural distortion of the mammary gland based on the feature quantity.

A computer-readable recording medium having a breast cancer detection program thereon, for detecting an architectural distortion of the mammary gland included in an X-ray image of the breast, the program causing a computer to function as:

• a model calculating means that calculates a normal architecture model of the mammary gland that scatters in a fan shape from the nipple toward the greater pectoral muscle with respect to the X-ray image of the breast;
• an orientation extracting means that extracts orientations of linear components of an image texture of a region that form a shape of a shadow in the X-ray image of the breast;
• and
• a lesion determining means that compares the orientation of the mammary gland in the normal architecture model calculated by the model calculating means and the orientation extracted by the orientation extracting means with respect to a region of interest in the X-ray image of the breast including architectural distortion candidates of the mammary gland detected by preprocessing to calculate a feature quantity based on a difference between the orientations and determines whether the candidates are an architectural distortion of the mammary gland based on the feature quantity.