Deep learning and vision transformers-based framework for breast cancer and subtype identification

Abstract Breast cancer, marked by uncontrolled cell growth in breast tissue, is the most common cancer among women and a second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Among its types, ductal and lobular carcinomas are the most prevalent, with invasive ductal carcinoma accounting for about 70–80% of cases and invasive lobular carcinoma for about 10–15%. Accurate identification is crucial for effective treatment but can be time-consuming and prone to interobserver variability. AI can rapidly analyze pathological images, providing precise, cost-effective identification, thus reducing the pathologists’ workload. This study utilizes a deep learning framework for advanced, automatic breast cancer detection and subtype identification. The framework comprises three key components: detecting cancerous patches, identifying cancer subtypes (ductal and lobular carcinoma), and predicting patient-level outcomes…