An automated computerized scheme for determination of the likelihood of malignancy
in pulmonary nodules. The present invention includes steps of obtaining at least
one computed tomography medical image of a pulmonary nodule in determining if the
pulmonary nodule is malignant based on the examination of seven patient or image
features. The method can be implemented when instructions are loaded into a computer
to program the computer. The significance of employing seven patient or image features
is that statistically, seven features are the most practical based on the unique
implementation of statistical analysis. Out of the seven features that are now
analyzed to determine if a pulmonary nodule is malignant, these features are selected
to optimize the accuracy of the diagnosis of a pulmonary nodule. Through a unique
sampling scheme, different embodiments of the present invention utilize different
combinations of features to optimize the accuracy of the method of the present invention.
