Hybrid vision transformer and Xception model for reliable CT-based ovarian neoplasms diagnosis

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is a major global health concern, characterized by high mortality rates and a lack of accurate diagnostic methods. Rapid and accurate detection of ovarian cancer is essential to improve patient outcomes and formulate appropriate treatment protocols. Medical imaging methods are essential for identifying ovarian cancer; however, achieving accurate diagnosis remains a challenge. This paper presents a robust methodology for ovarian cancer detection, including the identification and classification of benign and malignant tumors, using the Xception_ViT model. This hybrid approach was chosen because it combines the advantages of traditional CNN-based models (such as Xception) with the capabilities of modern Transformers-based models (such as ViT). This combination allows the model to take advantage of Xception, which extracts features from images. The Vision Transformer (ViT) model is then used to identify connections between diverse visual elements, enhancing the model's understanding of complex components. A Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) layer is finally integrated with the proposed model for image classification. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated using three computed tomography (CT) image datasets from King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) in Jordan. The first dataset consists of the ovarian cancer computed tomography dataset (KAUH-OCCTD), the second is the benign ovarian tumors dataset (KAUH-BOTD), and the third is the malignant ovarian tumors dataset (KAUH-MOTD). The three datasets collected from 500 women are characterized by their diversity in ovarian tumor classification and are the first of their kind collected in Jordan. The proposed model Xception_ViT achieved an accuracy of 98.09 % in identifying ovarian cancer on the KAUH-OCCTD dataset, and an accuracy of 96.05 % and 98.73 % on the KAUH-BOTD and KAUH-MOTD datasets, respectively, in distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The proposed model outperformed the pre-trained models on all three datasets. The results demonstrate that the proposed model can classify ovarian tumors. This method could also greatly enhance the efficiency of novice radiologists in evaluating ovarian malignancies and assist gynecologists in providing improved treatment alternatives for these individuals.