Boosted dipper throated optimization algorithm-based Xception neural network for skin cancer diagnosis: An optimal approach

Skin cancer is a prevalent form of cancer that necessitates prompt and precise detection. However, current diagnostic methods for skin cancer are either invasive, time-consuming, or unreliable. Consequently, there is a demand for an innovative and efficient approach to diagnose skin cancer that utilizes non-invasive and automated techniques. In this study, a unique method has been proposed for diagnosing skin cancer by employing an Xception neural network that has been optimized using Boosted Dipper Throated Optimization (BDTO) algorithm. The Xception neural network is a deep learning model capable of extracting high-level features from skin dermoscopy images, while the BDTO algorithm is a bio-inspired optimization technique that can determine the optimal parameters and weights for the Xception neural network. To enhance the quality and diversity of the images, the ISIC dataset is utilized, a widely accepted benchmark system for skin cancer diagnosis, and various image preprocessing and data augmentation techniques were implemented. By comparing the method with several contemporary approaches, it has been demonstrated that the method outperforms others in detecting skin cancer. The method achieves an average precision of 94.936%, an average accuracy of 94.206%, and an average recall of 97.092% for skin cancer diagnosis, surpassing the performance of alternative methods. Additionally, the 5-fold ROC curve and error curve have been presented for the data validation to showcase the superiority and robustness of the method.