Marker-controlled watershed algorithm and fuzzy C-means clustering machine learning: automated segmentation of glioblastoma from MRI images in a case series.

Abstract

Automated segmentation of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from MRI images is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. This paper presents a new and innovative approach for automating the segmentation of GBM from MRI images using the marker-controlled watershed segmentation (MCWS) algorithm. The technique involves several image processing techniques, including adaptive thresholding, morphological filtering, gradient magnitude calculation, and regional maxima identification. The MCWS algorithm efficiently segments images based on local intensity structures using the watershed transform, and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering improves segmentation accuracy. The presented approach achieved improved segmentation accuracy in detecting and segmenting GBM tumours from axial T2-weighted (T2-w) MRI images, as demonstrated by the mean characteristics performance metrics for GBM segmentation (sensitivity: 0.9905, specificity: 0.9483, accuracy: 0.9508, precision: 0.5481, F_measure: 0.7052, and jaccard: 0.9340). The results of this study underline the importance of reliable and accurate image segmentation for effective diagnosis and treatment planning of GBM tumours. The MCWS technique provides an effective and efficient approach for the segmentation of challenging medical images.