Computer-Aided Detection of Bone Metastasis using Bone Scintigraphy Scans

Abstract

Abstract: When cancer cells spread from their original site to the bone then it is known as ‘Bone Metastasis’. Patients with solid tumors such as lung, breast, kidney, prostate etc. oftentimes develop bone metastasis. Cancer cells that spread to the bone mostly affect limbs, pelvis, spine, skull and ribs. Once tumors have metastasized to the bone, patients usually undergo skeletal complications collectively known as skeletal-related events (SRE) like skeletal remodelling, fractures, spinal cord compression, pain or anaemia and bowel incontinence. Therefore, early diagnosis of bone metastasis is crucial for increasing survivability as it has a major impact on treatment decision and at the same time it is a decisive factor in the evolution of the disease and the quality of life. ‘Bone Scintigraphy’ is accepted to be an efficient diagnostic tool for whole-body examination of bone metastasis. Computer-Aided Detection method is used to avoid mistakes which might be caused by human interference & experimental sources. CAD system provides faster and more precise results that facilitates in the early detection of bone metastasis, hence increasing the patient’s chance of survival. To reduce the dependency of the system on source of the input image & for making the system robust we have explored various done image enhancement techniques.