Innovative deep learning classifiers for breast cancer detection through hybrid feature extraction techniques

Breast cancer remains a major cause of mortality among women, where early and accurate detection is critical to improving survival rates. This study presents a hybrid classification approach for mammogram analysis by combining handcrafted statistical features and deep learning techniques. The methodology involves preprocessing with the Shearlet Transform, segmentation using Improved Otsu thresholding and Canny edge detection, followed by feature extraction through Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM), and 1st-order statistical descriptors. These features are input into a 2D BiLSTM-CNN model designed to learn spatial and sequential patterns in mammogram images. Evaluated on the MIAS dataset, the proposed method achieved 97.14% accuracy, outperforming several benchmark models. The results indicate that this hybrid strategy offers improvements in classification performance and may assist radiologists in more effective breast cancer screening.