From Density to Biopsy Decisions and Malignancy Prediction: A Benchmark Study of Multimodal Large Language Models Against Radiologists in Digital and Contrast-Enhanced Mammography

📅 2026-09-13
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🤖 AI Summary
研究对比了四种多模态大型语言模型与放射科医生在乳腺密度评估、BI-RADS评估、活检候选确定及恶性概率估计上的表现,发现放射科医生在分类任务上更优,但某些模型在连续恶性概率估计中接近人类水平。
📝 Abstract
Purpose: To compare four multimodal large language models (MLLMs) with radiologists of varying expertise in breast density assessment, BI-RADS assessment, biopsy candidacy determination, and continuous malignancy probability estimation using digital mammography (DM) and contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM). Methods: This study included 179 women with paired DM/CEM examinations and reference standards. Four MLLMs (ChatGPT-5.2, Gemini-3.1 Pro, Sonnet-4.6, Muse Spark) interpreted images with and without masks; three radiologists interpreted non-masked images. Results: For binary density classification on DM, radiologist accuracies ranged from 55.81% to 78.60%, exceeding most MLLM values (62.33%-71.63%), while masks added limited benefit. Five-category BI-RADS accuracies were higher for radiologists on DM (56.74-67.44%) and CEM (62.33-82.79%) compared with MLLMs (DM 31.16-45.12%; CEM 40.00-55.81%). Binary biopsy-candidacy accuracies were likewise higher for radiologists (DM 85.12-89.77%; CEM 86.98-92.09%) than for MLLMs (DM 61.39-75.35%; CEM 69.30-82.79%), although CEM improved performance across all readers. Lesion masks substantially improved MLLM continuous malignancy-probability accuracies from 64.65%-71.63% to 72.56-78.60% on DM and from 67.91%-77.21% to 72.56%-81.86% on CEM, approaching radiologist ranges (DM 63.72-82.79%; CEM 81.86-88.84%). The corresponding AUCs for the top masked models overlapped those of the human readers. Overall, Muse Spark, followed by Sonnet-4.6, demonstrated the strongest performance among the MLLMs across domains. Conclusion: Radiologists generally outperformed MLLMs in categorical tasks, while selected masked models approached human performance for continuous malignancy probability estimation, suggesting a potential adjunctive role.
Problem

Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.

multimodal large language models
radiologists
breast density assessment
BI-RADS assessment
malignancy probability estimation
Innovation

Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.

multimodal large language models
malignancy probability estimation
lesion masks
A
Ali Abbasian Ardakani
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Danube Private University, Krems an der Donau, Austria
A
Afshin Mohammadi
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Science, Urmia, Iran
T
Taha Yusuf Kuzan
Department of Radiology, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Türkiye
B
Beyza Nur Kuzan
Kartal Dr. LÜtfi Kırdar City Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
A
Alisa Mohebbi
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Danube Private University, Krems an der Donau, Austria
M
Masume Behruzi
Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
H
Hamid Khorshidi
Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
A
Ashkan Ghorbani
Department of Bioengineering, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey
E
Elham Asadiara
Mooney's Bay Pain Clinic, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Z
Zeinab Khorshidi Lotfi
School of Computing, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology, Arden University, Berlin, Germany
A
Ansar Rahman
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Danube Private University, Krems an der Donau, Austria
N
Nedim Christoph Beste
Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
U
U. Rajendra Acharya
School of Mathematics, Physics and Computing, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia; Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia
S
Sepideh Hatamikia
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Danube Private University, Krems an der Donau, Austria; Austrian Center for Medical Innovation and Technology, Wiener Neustadt, Austria