Skin lesion classification plays a crucial role in dermatology, aiding in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of life-threatening malignant lesions. However, standalone transfer learning (TL) models failed to deliver optimal performance. In this study, we present an attention-enabled ensemble-based deep learning technique, a powerful, novel, and generalized method for extracting features for the classification of skin lesions. This technique holds significant promise in enhancing diagnostic accuracy by using seven pre-trained TL models for classification. Six ensemble-based DL (EBDL) models were created using stacking, softmax voting, and weighted average techniques. Furthermore, we investigated the attention mechanism as an effective paradigm and created seven attention-enabled transfer learning (aeTL) models before branching out to construct three attention-enabled ensemble-based DL (aeEBDL) models to create a reliable, adaptive, and generalized paradigm. The mean accuracy of the TL models is 95.30%, and the use of an ensemble-based paradigm increased it by 4.22%, to 99.52%. The aeTL models' performance was superior to the TL models in accuracy by 3.01%, and aeEBDL models outperformed aeTL models by 1.29%. Statistical tests show significant p-value and Kappa coefficient along with a 99.6% reliability index for the aeEBDL models. The approach is highly effective and generalized for the classification of skin lesions.

DermAI 1.0: A Robust, Generalized, and Novel Attention-Enabled Ensemble-Based Transfer Learning Paradigm for Multiclass Classification of Skin Lesion Images

Faa, Gavino;Saba, Luca
Penultimo
;
2023-01-01

Abstract

Skin lesion classification plays a crucial role in dermatology, aiding in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of life-threatening malignant lesions. However, standalone transfer learning (TL) models failed to deliver optimal performance. In this study, we present an attention-enabled ensemble-based deep learning technique, a powerful, novel, and generalized method for extracting features for the classification of skin lesions. This technique holds significant promise in enhancing diagnostic accuracy by using seven pre-trained TL models for classification. Six ensemble-based DL (EBDL) models were created using stacking, softmax voting, and weighted average techniques. Furthermore, we investigated the attention mechanism as an effective paradigm and created seven attention-enabled transfer learning (aeTL) models before branching out to construct three attention-enabled ensemble-based DL (aeEBDL) models to create a reliable, adaptive, and generalized paradigm. The mean accuracy of the TL models is 95.30%, and the use of an ensemble-based paradigm increased it by 4.22%, to 99.52%. The aeTL models' performance was superior to the TL models in accuracy by 3.01%, and aeEBDL models outperformed aeTL models by 1.29%. Statistical tests show significant p-value and Kappa coefficient along with a 99.6% reliability index for the aeEBDL models. The approach is highly effective and generalized for the classification of skin lesions.
2023
Attention; Ensemble-based deep learning; Reliability; Skin lesions; Validation
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11584/384203
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