Predicting the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Using Hybrid Machine Learning Systems and Thermographic Imaging

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women, emphasizing the critical need for precise early detection and prognosis. However, conventional methods often struggle to differentiate precancerous lesions or tailor treatments effectively. Thermal imaging, capturing subtle temperature variations, presents a promising avenue for non‐invasive cancer detection. While some studies explore thermography for breast cancer detection, integrating it with advanced machine learning for early diagnosis and personalized prediction remains relatively unexplored. This study proposes a novel hybrid machine learning system (HMLS) incorporating deep autoencoder techniques for automated early detection and prognostic stratification of breast cancer patients. By exploiting the temporal dynamics of thermographic data, this approach offers a more comprehensive analysis than static single‐frame approaches. Data processing involves splitting the dataset for training and testing. A predominant infrared image was selected, and matrix factorization was applied to capture temperature changes over time. Integration of convex factor analysis and bell‐curve membership function embedding for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction. The autoencoder deep neural network further reduces dimensionality. HMLS model development included feature selection and optimization of survival prediction algorithms through cross‐validation. Model performance was assessed using accuracy and F‐measure metrics. HMLS, integrating clinical data, achieved 81.6% accuracy, surpassing 77.6% using only convex‐NMF. The best classifier attained 83.2% accuracy on test data. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of thermographic imaging and HMLS for accurate early detection and personalized prediction of breast cancer. The proposed framework holds promise for enhancing patient care and potentially reducing mortality rates.