<title>Mammographic screening: radiological performance as a precursor to image processing</title>

Abstract

A key issues in the introduction and development of appropriate image processing techniques in mammography is the establishment of the current performance of radiologists in the area. This is necessary because the utility of machine vision approaches is largely validated by comparison with known radiological performance measures (which may well be variable) on the same set of cases. Furthermore the determination of weaknesses in existing human mammographic interpretative ability will demonstrate where machine vision approaches are currently most needed and thus likely to be of maximum benefit in a breast screening program. Following the introduction of breast screening in the U.K. a national self-assessment program has been implemented for all radiologists involved in this specialty. One of the outcomes of this program is the determination of radiological performance variations on this standard task. It is argued that these demonstrate the need for any machine vision approach to take such individuality into account before it can be implemented usefully.