Prostate cancer localization using multiparametric MRI based on semi-supervised techniques with automated seed...

In this paper, we propose a novel and efficient semisupervised technique for automated prostate cancer localization using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This method can be used in guiding biopsy, surgery, and therapy. We systematically present a new segmentation technique by developing a multiparametric graph based random walker (RW) algorithm with automated seed initialization to perform prostate cancer segmentation using multiparametric MRI. RW algorithm has proved to be accurate and fast in segmentation applications; however it requires a set of (user provided) seed points in order to perform segmentation. In this study, we first developed a novel RW method, which can be used with multiparametric MR images and then devised alternative methods that can determine seed points in an automated manner using discriminative classifiers such as support vector machines (SVM). Proposed RW method with automated seed initialization is able to produce improved segmentation results by assigning more weights to the images with more discriminative power.We applied the proposed method to a multiparametric dataset obtained from biopsy confirmed prostate cancer patients. Proposed method produces a sensitivity/ specificity rate of 0.76 and 0.86, respectively. Both visual, quantitative as well as statistical results are presented to show the significant performance improvements. Fisher sign test is used to demonstrate the statistical significance of our results by achieving p-values less than 0.05. This method outperforms available RW and SVM based methods by achieving a high specificity rate while not reducing sensitivity.