International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume: 3 | Issue: 4 | May-Jun 2019 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 - 6470

Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection using

Image Processing and Machine
Learning
Vijayalakshmi M M
Assistant Professor, Department of Information Science & Engineering GSSSIETW, Mysuru, Karnataka, India

How to cite this paper: Vijayalakshmi M ABSTRACT

M "Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection Dermatological Diseases are one of the biggest medical issues in 21st century due to its highly comp
using Image Processing and Machine
Learning" Published in International
Journal of Trend in Scientific Research
and Development
(ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-
6470, Volume-3 |
Issue-4, June 2019,
pp.780-784, URL:
https://www.ijtsrd.c
om/papers/ijtsrd23 IJTSRD23936
936.pdf

Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and

International Journal of Trend in
Scientific Research and Development
Journal. This is an Open Access article Keywords: Dermatology, Image Processing, Machine Learning, Melanoma
distributed under
I. INTRODUCTION
the terms of the
Skin is the outer most region of our body and it is likely to be exposed to the
Creative Commons
environment which may get in contact with dust, Pollution, micro-organisms and
Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
also to UV radiations. These may be the reasons for any kind of Skin diseases and
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
also Skin related diseases are caused by instability in the genes this makes the
by/4.0)
skin diseases more complex.
The human skin is composed of two major layers called
Melanoma. Malignant Melanoma is one of the deadly and
epidermis and dermis. The top or the outer layer of the skin
dangerous type cancers, even though it’s found that only 4%
which is called the epidermis composed of three types of
of the population is affected with this, it holds for 75% of the
cells flat and scaly cells on the surface called SQUAMOUS
death caused due to skin cancer. Melanoma can be cured if
cells, round cells called BASAL cells and MELANOCYTES,
its identified or diagnosed in early stages and the treatment
cells that provide skin its color and protect against skin
can be provided early, but if melanoma is identified in the
damage. As the diagnostic classification currently do not
last stages, it is possible that Melanoma can spread across
represent the diversity of the disease, these are not sufficient
deeper into skin and also can affect other parts of the
enough to make a correct prediction and also treatment to
body, then it becomes very difficult to treat. Melanoma is
be provided for that disease. Adding to this cancer cells
caused due to presence of Melanocytes which are present
are often diagnosed late and treated late, it is diagnosed
with in the body.
when the cancer cells have mutated and spreads to the
other internal parts of the body. At this stage therapies or
Exposure of skin to UV radiation is also one of the major
treatments are not very effective. Due to these kinds of
reasons for the cause of Melanoma. Dermoscopy is a
issues skin cancer percentage is taken over by the heart
technique, that is used to exam the structure of skin. An
related diseases as the most affected and it is the cause of
observation-based detection technique can be used to detect
death among all ages in the world. The other reasons for
Melanoma using Dermoscopy images. The accuracy of the
which the disease might have taken over to a very serious
dermoscopy depends on the training of the dermatologist.
state can be because of people’s ignorance and also that
The accuracy of Melanoma Detection can be 75%-85% even
people try using home remedies without knowing the
though the experts in skin use dermoscopy as a method
severity of the problem and also sometimes these may
for diagnosis. The diagnosis that is performed by the system
lead to another kind of skin rashes or even increasing the
will help to increase the speed and accuracy of the
severity of the problem.
diagnosis. Computer will be able to extract some
information, like asymmetry, color variation, texture
Among all the types of skin diseases skin cancer is found
features, these minute parameters may not be recognized
to be the deadliest kind of disease found in humans. This
by the human naked eyes. There are 3 stages in an
is found most commonly among the fair skin. Skin cancer
automated dermoscopy image analysis system, (a) pre-
is found to be 2 types Malignant Melanoma and Non-
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 1
processing (b) Proper Segmentation,
(c) feature extraction and selection. The segmentation is the

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun 2019 Page: 2

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-
most important and also plays a key role as it affects the
the clear enhancement for the further steps by increasing the
process of fore coming steps. Supervised segmentation
efficiency of the model. Pre-processing includes the
seems to be easy to implement by considering the
following:
parameters like shapes, sizes, and colors along with skin
types and textures. This system-based analysis will reduce  Collection of the dataset
the diagnosing time and increases the accuracy.  Hair removal
Dermatological Diseases, due to their high complexity,  Shading removal
variety and scarce expertise is one of the most difficult
 Glare removal
terrains for quick, easy and accurate diagnosis especially
in developing and under-developed countries with low
healthcare budget. Also, it’s a common knowledge that the Dataset: The images were collected from the ISIC dataset;
the ISIC dataset provide the collection of images for
early detection in cases on many diseases reduces the
melanoma skin cancer. ISIC melanoma project was
chances of serious outcomes. The recent environmental
undertaken to reduce the increasing deaths related to
factors have just acted as catalyst for these skin diseases.
melanoma and efficiency of melanoma early detection. This
The general stages of these diseases are as: STAGE 1- ISIC dataset contains approximately 23,000 images of which
diseases in situ, survival 99.9%, STAGE 2- diseases in high we have collected 1000-1500 images and trained and tested
risk level, survival 45-79%, STAGE 3-regional metastasis, over these images.
survival 24-30%, STAGE 4- distant metastasis-survival 7-
19% Hair Removal: for the above collected images hair removal
method was applied this method was performed using
II. RELATED WORKS Hough transform, Hough transform is basically used to
The authors [1] have tried to address the same problem identify lines or elliptical or circular shapes. Performing hair
using image analysis techniques. The work uses the removal for the images that has hair within the tumor
technique of noise removal and subsequent feature provides us an clear image of tumor which also helps us to
extraction. After the noise removal, the image is fed into make further more enhancements.
classifier for further feature extraction process and finally
the prediction of the disease. Most of the earlier publications Shading removal: The images that is taken from the dataset
focused on feature extraction and then subsequent disease contains shade around the region of the tumor this shade for
prediction was done. Papers [6,3] have used Artificial Neural few images is dark and for few is light, removal of the
Network for dealing with this complex problem while papers shade in the region of tumor also provides us an clear vision
[2,4,5] have used machine learning algorithms for the of the tumor which is also helpful in the further
task. Computer vision techniques have played a major role enhancements. We have used the MATLAB filters to
in many previous literatures. As is evident, the publishers remove the shade for images in the dataset.
have utilized the image processing techniques to
accomplish the pre processing task. In the similar way we Glare Removal: sometime the images are captured from
also try to implement the computer vision techniques, but camera the images will contain glare this glare is not visible
out implementation mainly focuses for dataset to the naked eyes, we remove this glare using the MATLAB
augmentation. filter, this minute noise sometimes may affect the accuracy at
the end.
III. Methodology
Our model is designed in 3 phases as follows: V. Architecture
A. Phase1 – the first model involves collection of dataset,
the images are collected from ISIC dataset (International
Skin Imaging Collaboration) Phase 1 also involves the
pre-processing of the images where hair removal, glare
removal and shading removal are done
B. Removal of these parameters helps us to identify the
texture, color, size and shape like parameters in an
efficient way.
C. Phase2- this phase consists of the segmentation and
feature extraction, segmentation is explored via three
methods a. Otsu segmentation method b. Modified Otsu
segmentation method c. water shed segmentation
method. Feature are extracted for color, shape, size and
texture.
D. Phase 3- this is the most important phase of our
model, this phase involves designing of the model and
training. Our model was trained for Back Propagation
Algorithm (Neural Networks), SVM (Support Vector VI. Designing The Model
Machine), and CNN (Convolutional Neural Networks) In our model we have used 3 different methods i.e. Neural
on the dataset that was collected in the phase1, the Networks, Support Vector Machine and Convolutional Neural
model after training was tested for the accurate output. Networks to find the efficient detection and classification
of the melanoma skin cancer into Malignant and benign
IV. COMPONENTS OF METHODOLOGY: skin cancers. The data that is pre-processed is followed by
PRE-PROCESSING: segmentation and feature extraction these extracted feature
The pre-processing of images is an important task or activity images are then passed into Neural Networks and Support
which helps in saving time for training as well as provides

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun Page: 3

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-
Vector Machine to classify the images into malignant and
We need to reach the ‘Global Loss Minimum’. This is nothing
benign and to predict the exact accuracy.
but Backpropagation.
A. Neural Networks B. Support Vector Machine (SVM)
In the neural Networks we have used the Back SVM (Support Vector Machine) is a supervised machine
Propagation Algorithm. The Back Propagation is a learning algorithm which is mainly used to classify data into
supervised learning algorithm, for training the multi-layer different classes. Unlike most algorithms, SVM makes use of
perceptron’s. while designing the neural networks we a hyperplane which acts like a decision boundary between
initialize the weights with some random values as we do the various classes. SVM can be used to generate multiple
not know what exactly the weight can be, so we first give separating hyperplanes such that the data is divided into
some random weight if the model provides an error with segments and each segment contains only one kind of
large values. so, we need to need to change the values to data.
somehow minimize the error value. To generalize this, we
can just say Features of SVM are as follows:
 Calculate the error – How far is your model output 1. SVM is a supervised learning algorithm. This means that
from the actual output SVM trains on a set of labelled data. SVM studies the
labelled training data and then classifies any new
 Minimum Error – Check whether the error is
input data depending on what it learned in the training
minimized or not.
phase.
 Update the parameters – If the error is huge then, 2. A main advantage of SVM is that it can be used for
update the parameters (weights and biases). After
both classification and regression problems. Though
that again check the error. Repeat the process until the
SVM is mainly known for classification, the SVR (Support
error becomes minimum.
Vector Regressor) is used for regression problems.
 Model is ready to make a prediction – Once the error
3. SVM can be used for classifying non-linear data by using
becomes minimum, you can feed some inputs to your
the kernel trick. The kernel trick means transforming
model and it will produce the output.
data into another dimension that has a clear dividing
margin between classes of data. After which you can
easily draw a hyperplane between the various classes of
data.

What is support vectors in SVM? we start of by drawing a

random hyperplane and then we check the distance between
the hyperplane and the closest data points from each
class. These closest data points to the hyperplane are
known as support vectors. And that’s where the name
comes from, support vector machine.

The Backpropagation algorithm looks for the minimum value In this project we have used SVM to classify the malignant
of the error function in weight space using a technique called and benign skin cancer images, this done by passing the
the delta rule or gradient descent. segmented and feature extracted images into SVM where
SVM write the hyperplane and groups all the near by similar
we are trying to get the value of weight such that the error features into different classes.
becomes minimum. Basically, we need to figure out whether
we need to increase or decrease the weight value. Once we
know that, we keep on updating the weight value in that
direction until error becomes minimum. You might reach
a point, where if you further update the weight, the error
will increase. At that time, you need to stop, and that is your
final weight value.

Consider the graph below:

The performance of the SVM classifier was very accurate for

even a small data set and its performance was compared
to other classification algorithms like CNN and Back
Propagation Algorithm.

C. Convolution Neural Network

CNNs are neural networks with a specific architecture that
have been shown to be very powerful in areas such as image

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun Page: 4

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-
recognition and classification. CNNs have been

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun Page: 5

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-
demonstrated to identify faces, objects, and traffic signs
better than humans and therefore can be found in robots and
self-driving cars.

CNNs are a supervised learning method and are therefore

trained using data labeled with the respective classes.
Essentially, CNNs learn the relationship between the input
objects and the class labels and comprise two
components: the hidden layers in which the features are
extracted and, at the end of the processing, the fully
connected layers that are used for the actual classification
task. Unlike regular neural networks, the hidden layers of
a CNN have a specific architecture. In regular neural
networks, each layer is formed by a set of neurons and
one neuron of a layer is connected to each neuron of the
preceding layer. The architecture of hidden layers in a
CNN is slightly different. The neurons in a layer are not
connected to all neurons of the preceding layer; rather,
they are connected to only a small number of neurons.
This restriction to local connections and additional pooling
layers summarizing local neuron outputs into one value
results in translation- invariant features. This results in a
simpler training procedure and a lower model complexity

VII. CONCLUTION
The aim of this project is to determine the accurate VIII. REFERENCES
prediction of skin cancer and also to classify the skin cancer [1] abrham debasu mengistu , dagnachew melesew
as malignant or non-malignant melanoma. To do so, some alemayehu “computer vision for skin cancer diagnosis
pre-processing steps were carried out which followed and recognition using rbf and som “ international
Hair removal, shadow removal, glare removal and also journal of image processing (ijip), volume (9) : issue
segmentation. SVM and Deep Neural networks will be (6) 2015.
used to classify. classifier will be trained to learn the features [2] s.s. Mane1, s.v. Shinde “different techniques for skin
and finally used to classify. The novelty of the present cancer detection using dermoscopy images” ,
methodology is that it should do the detection in very quick international journal of computer sciences and
time hence aiding the technicians to perfect their diagnostic engineering vol.5(12), dec 2017, e-issn: 2347-2693.
skills. The dataset used is from the available ISIC
(International Skin Image Collaboration) dataset, hence any [3] poornima m s, dr. Shailaja k “detection of skin cancer
dataset can be used to find the efficiency. using svm” , international research journal of
engineering and technology (irjet) volume: 04 issue: 07
| july -2017.
[4] yuexiang li and linlin shen “skin lesion analysis
towards melanoma detection using deep learning
network”, arxiv:1904.073653v2 [cs.cv] 20 aug 2018
[5] muhammad imran razzak, saeeda naz and ahmad zaib “
deep learning for medical image processing: overview,
challenges and future” arxiv:1852.3865v2 [cs.cv] 20
july 2018
[6] veronika cheplygina, marleen de bruijne, josien p. W.
Pluim, “ not-so-supervised: a survey of semi-
supervised, multi-instance, and transfer Learning in
medical image analysis” arxiv:1804.06353v2 [cs.cv] 14
sep 2018
[7] salome kazeminia, christoph baur, arjan kuijper, bram
van Ginneken, nassir navab, shadi albarqouni, anirban
mukhopadhyay “gans for medical image analysis “,
arxiv:1809.06222v2 [cs.cv] 21 dec 2018
[8] andreas maier, christopher syben, tobias lasser,
christian riess “a gentle introduction to deep
learning in medical image processing”,
arxiv:1810.05401v2 [cs.cv] 21 dec 2018
[9] danilo barros mendes , nilton correia da silva “skin
lesions classification using convolutional Neural
networks in clinical images”, arxiv:1812.02316v1
[cs.cv] 6 dec 2018

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun Page: 6

 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-
[10] wasan kadhim saa'd “ method for detection and
[16] lakshay bajaj, himanshu kumar, yasha hasija,”
diagnosis of the Area of skin disease based on color by
automated system for prediction of skin disease
Wavelet transform and a rtificial neural Network” al-
using image processing and machine learning”
qadisiya journal for engineering sciences vol. 2 no.4
international journal of computer applications (0975 –
year 2009
8887) volume 180 – no.19, february 2018
[11] li-sheng wei , quan gan, and tao ji , “skin disease
[17] ritesh maurya, surya kant singh, ashish k. Maurya, ajeet
recognition method based on image color and Texture
kumar,” glcm and multi class support vector machine
features” hindawi computational and mathematical
methods in medicine volume 2018, article id 8145713, based automated skin cancer classification” ieee
10 pages [18] prashant b. Yadav, mrs. S.s. Patil “ recognition of
[12] rahat yasir, md. Shariful islam nibir, and nova ahmed dermatological disease area for identification of
disease” ijsdr may 2016 volume 1, issue 5
“ a skin disease detection system for financially
unstable people in developing countries” global [19] nikita raut, aayush shah, shail vira, harmit sampat, “
science and technology journal vol. 3. No. 1. March 2015 a study on different techniques for skin cancer
issue. Pp. 77 detection”, international research journal of
– 93 engineering and technology (irjet), volume: 05 issue:
[13] t.yamunarani, “analysis of skin cancer using abcd 09 | sep 2018
technique” , international research journal of [20] m.yuvaraju, d.divya, a.poornima, “segmentation of skin
engineering and technology (irjet) volume: 05 issue: 04 lesion from digital images using morphological
| apr-2018 filter”, international research journal of engineering
and technology (irjet) volume: 03 issue: 05 | may-
[14] rahat yasir,, md. Ashiqur rahman, and nova ahmed,
“dermatological disease detection using image 2016
Processing and artificial neural network”, [21] yuexiang liid and linlin shen, “skin lesion analysis
arxiv:1012.2436v1 [cs.cv] 16 dec 2018 toward melanoma detection using deep learning
[15] m. Shamsul arifini, m. Golam kibria, adnan firoze, m. network” sensors mdpi 11 february 2018.
Ashraful amini, hong yan, “dermatological disease [22] mrs. S kalaiarasi, harsh kumar, sourav patra,
diagnosis using color-skin images”, proceedings of the “dermatological disease detection using image
2012 international conference on machine learning processing and neural networks”, s.kalaiarasi et al,
and cybernetics, xian, 15-17 july, 2012 international journal of computer science and mobile
applications, vol.6 issue. , pg. 109-118 ,4 april- 2018.

@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID - IJTSRD23936 | Volume – 3 | Issue – 4 | May-Jun Page: 7