An attention-based transfer learning framework for breast cancer classification in mammography under limited data conditions

Abstract

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women worldwide. There is a critical need for an early and accurate diagnosis to improve survival rates. This study evaluates the performance of transfer learning-based MobileNetV2 and ResNet50 architectures for binary breast cancer classification using mammography images. To enhance channel-wise feature learning, the Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) attention mechanism was integrated into the network and partial fine tuning was performed by only freezing the early layers of the model. Furthermore, gradient-weighted class activation mapping was applied to visualize the important regions of mammogram images responsible for the model’s predictions. The performance evaluation was carried out on the Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) binary, Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM), INbreast, and Mammographic Image Analysis Society (MIAS) datasets using stratified k-fold cross-validation. The experimental results demonstrate that one of the proposed frameworks, MobileNetV2-SE, achieved mean classification accuracies of 99.14%, 93.53%, 92.35%, and 96.33% on the DDSM, INbreast, MIAS, and CLAHE-binary datasets, respectively. In comparison, the ResNet50-SE model attained mean accuracies of 100%, 88.89%, 71.60%, and 97.98% on the same datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the frameworks achieve reliable and competitive performance for breast cancer detection under realistic evaluation conditions and improve the diagnostic accuracy of mammogram classification. This work contributes to the field of medical image analysis and computer-aided diagnosis. Future work should focus on applying advanced class balancing methods to improve diagnostic accuracy and model robustness in a variety of medical imaging applications.