Multiattribute Decision-Making: Use of Three Scoring Methods to Compare the Performance of Imaging Techniques for Breast Cancer Detection

Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) involves "making preference decisions (such as evaluation, prioritization, selection) over the available alternatives that are characterized by multiple, usually conflicting, attributes". The problems of MADM are diverse, and can be found in virtually any topic. In this paper, we use three different scoring methods for evaluating the performance of different imaging techniques used to detect cancers in the female breast. The need for such a decision support system arises from the fact that each of the several techniques which helps diagnose breast cancer today, has its own specific characteristics, advantages and drawbacks. These characteristics or attributes are generally conflicting. The goal is to detect as many malignant lesions in the breast as is possible, while identifying the maximum number of benign lesions. The four imaging techniques that are compared here are Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Mammography, Ultrasonography, and Nuclear Medicine. The three different multiattribute scoring methods are the Simple Additive Weighting method (SAW), the Weighted Product Method (WPM), and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The three methods are described in detail, and then used to rank the four imaging techniques. The results are analyzed and the validity and robustness of the methods are tested using post-evaluation analysis.