Title:Lung Nodule Detection using Convolutional Neural Networks with Transfer Learning on CT Images
Volume: 24
Issue: 6
Author(s): Jun Gao*, Qian Jiang, Bo Zhou and Daozheng Chen
Affiliation:
- College of Information Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306,China
Keywords:
Lung nodule detection, CNNs, CT, transfer learning, medical image analysis, deep learning.
Abstract:
Aim and Objective: Lung nodule detection is critical in improving the five-year survival
rate and reducing mortality for patients with lung cancer. Numerous methods based on
Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have been proposed for lung nodule detection in
Computed Tomography (CT) images. With the collaborative development of computer hardware
technology, the detection accuracy and efficiency can still be improved.
Materials and Methods: In this study, an automatic lung nodule detection method using CNNs
with transfer learning is presented. We first compared three of the state-of-the-art convolutional
neural network (CNN) models, namely, VGG16, VGG19 and ResNet50, to determine the most
suitable model for lung nodule detection. We then utilized two different training strategies, namely,
freezing layers and fine-tuning, to illustrate the effectiveness of transfer learning. Furthermore, the
hyper-parameters of the CNN model such as optimizer, batch size and epoch were optimized.
Results: Evaluated on the Lung Nodule Analysis 2016 (LUNA16) challenge, promising results
with an accuracy of 96.86%, a precision of 91.10%, a sensitivity of 90.78%, a specificity of
98.13%, and an AUC of 99.37% were achieved.
Conclusion: Compared with other works, state-of-the-art specificity is obtained, which
demonstrates that the proposed method is effective and applicable to lung nodule detection.