Tumor-Centered Patching for Enhanced Medical Image Segmentation

TL;DR

This paper proposes a tumor-centered patching method for medical image segmentation that improves accuracy and efficiency by focusing on tumor regions, addressing class imbalance and boundary issues.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel tumor-centered patching technique that enhances feature extraction and segmentation accuracy in medical images, overcoming limitations of traditional patch methods.

Findings

Segmentation scores of 0.78, 0.76, and 0.71 for different tumor types.

Improved class imbalance handling and boundary delineation.

Reduced computational load with a lightweight U-Net.

Abstract

The realm of medical image diagnosis has advanced significantly with the integration of computer-aided diagnosis and surgical systems. However, challenges persist, particularly in achieving precise image segmentation. While deep learning techniques show potential, obstacles like limited resources, slow convergence, and class imbalance impede their effectiveness. Traditional patch-based methods, though common, struggle to capture intricate tumor boundaries and often lead to redundant samples, compromising computational efficiency and feature quality. To tackle these issues, this research introduces an innovative approach centered on the tumor itself for patch-based image analysis. This novel tumor-centered patching method aims to address the class imbalance and boundary deficiencies, enabling focused and accurate tumor segmentation. By aligning patches with the tumor's anatomical context, this technique enhances feature extraction accuracy and reduces computational load. Experimental results demonstrate improved class imbalance, with segmentation scores of 0.78, 0.76, and 0.71 for whole, core, and enhancing tumors, respectively using a lightweight simple U-Net. This approach shows potential for enhancing medical image segmentation and improving computer-aided diagnosis systems.