Artificial intelligence in the detection of skin cancer: State of the art.

Journal: Clinics in dermatology
Published Date:

Abstract

The incidence of melanoma is increasing rapidly. This cancer has a good prognosis if detected early. For this reason, various systems of skin lesion image analysis, which support imaging diagnostics of this neoplasm, are developing very dynamically. To detect and recognize neoplastic lesions, such systems use various artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. This area of computer science applications has recently undergone dynamic development, abounding in several solutions that are effective tools supporting diagnosticians in many medical specialties. In this contribution, a number of applications of different classes of AI algorithms for the detection of this skin melanoma are presented and evaluated. Both classic systems based on the analysis of dermatoscopic images as well as total body systems, enabling the analysis of the patient's whole body to detect moles and pathologic changes, are discussed. These increasingly popular applications that allow the analysis of lesion images using smartphones are also described. The quantitative evaluation of the discussed systems with particular emphasis on the method of validation of the implemented algorithms is presented. The advantages and limitations of AI in the analysis of lesion images are also discussed, and problems requiring a solution for more effective use of AI in dermatology are identified.

Authors

  • Michał Strzelecki
    Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology, 93-590 Lodz, Poland.
  • Marcin Kociołek
    Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology, Al. Politechniki 10, 93-590 Łódź, Poland.
  • Maria Strąkowska
    Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology, 93-590 Lodz, Poland.
  • Michał Kozłowski
    Department of Mechatronics, Faculty of Technical Science, University of Warmia and Mazury, Ul. Oczapowskiego 11, 10-710 Olsztyn, Poland.
  • Andrzej Grzybowski
    Institute for Research in Ophthalmology, Foundation for Ophthalmology Development, Poznan, Poland.
  • Piotr M Szczypiński
    Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology, Łódź, Poland.