Iterative fuzzy segmentation for an accurate delimitation of the breast region

• Extracting different regions with an iterative FCM algorithm (Iterative Fuzzy Breast Segmentation method).
• Based on the FCM algorithm, we are able to iteratively increase the precision of an initially extracted breast region.
• Combining the iterative FCM algorithm with anatomical properties in order to properly extract the accurate breast region.
• Reducing the influence of different mammographic image artifacts.
• The proposed method provides accurate and reliable results compared to previous works and Ground-Truth images.

In mammographic images, extracting different anatomical structures and tissues types is a critical requirement for the breast cancer diagnosis. For instance, separating breast and background regions increases the accuracy and efficiency of mammographic processing algorithms. In this paper, we propose a new region-based method to properly segment breast and background regions in mammographic images. These regions are estimated by an Iterative Fuzzy Breast Segmentation method (IFBS). Based on the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm, IFBS method iteratively increases the precision of an initially extracted breast region. This proposal is evaluated using the MIAS database. Experimental results show high accuracy and reliability in breast extraction when compared with Ground-Truth (GT) images.