Enhancing Breast Cancer Detection: Leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract: Breast cancer continues to be a critical health concern, necessitating early detection and accurate classification for effective treatment. This study presents a comparative analysis between a custom-designed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and the pre-trained DenseNet121 model for breast cancer detection and classification. We compiled a comprehensive dataset of breast cancer images and applied appropriate preprocessing techniques to optimize the input for the models. The dataset was divided into training, validation, and testing sets to evaluate the models' performance. The CNN model comprises multiple convolutional and pooling layers followed by fully connected layers for classification, while the DenseNet121 model is fine-tuned specifically for breast cancer detection. The models were evaluated based on metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and AUC-ROC. The DenseNet121 model outperformed the custom CNN model, achieving higher accuracy and reliability. For wider accessibility, we integrated the superior DenseNet121 model into a user-friendly web-based interface using Python Flask, enabling real-time breast cancer predictions. Ethical considerations were paramount, ensuring data privacy, security, and transparency in all model predictions. This study highlights the effectiveness of the DenseNet121 model and contributes to improved breast cancer diagnosis and patient care.