Feature ranking-guided fuzzy rule interpolation for mammographic mass shape classification

This paper presents a novel fuzzy rule-based interpolative reasoning system for mammographic mass shape classification that is interpretable to medical professionals. In particular, a feature ranking-guided fuzzy rule interpolation (FRI) method is embedded in the proposed system to make inference possible given a sparse rule base, which may occur in dealing with insufficient mammographic image data (and indeed in coping with many other computer-aided medical diagnostic problems). The rule base for inference is learned from a set of labelled morphological features which are extracted from mass shapes. A classical FRI mechanism is integrated with a procedure for feature selection to score the individual rule antecedents in the inducted sparse rule base for more accurate interpolative reasoning. The work is evaluated on a real-world mammographic image data base with promising results, demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed fuzzy rule-based interpolative classification system.