DensiThAI, A Multi-View Deep Learning Framework for Breast Density Estimation using Infrared Images
Current breast density assessment relies on X-ray mammography, which involves ionizing radiation and lacks a safe, radiation-free alternative. This study proposes the first end-to-end deep learning framework based on multi-view infrared thermography to classify breast density without radiation, leveraging differences in surface temperature distributions. The model is trained under supervision using mammographic annotations as the gold standard. Evaluated on a multicenter dataset comprising 3,500 women, the five-view fusion model achieves an average AUROC of 0.73, with statistically significant performance differences across density categories (p ≪ 0.05). Moreover, the model demonstrates consistent performance across age groups, confirming the feasibility and potential of radiation-free breast density assessment through infrared thermography.