Comparing Methods for segmentation of Microcalcification Clusters in Digitized Mammograms

Abstract: The appearance of microcalcifications in mammograms is one of the early signs of breast cancer. So, early detection of microcalcification clusters (MCCs) in mammograms can be helpful for cancer diagnosis and better treatment of breast cancer. In this paper a computer method has been proposed to support radiologists in detection MCCs in digital mammography. First, in order to facilitate and improve the detection step, mammogram images have been enhanced with wavelet transformation and morphology operation. Then for segmentation of suspicious MCCs, two methods have been investigated. The considered methods are: adaptive threshold and watershed segmentation. Finally, the detected MCCs areas in different algorithms will be compared to find out which segmentation method is more appropriate for extracting MCCs in mammograms.