Efficient Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO)-Based Framework for Accurate Skin Cancer Prediction

The prediction of skin cancer poses a number of challenges due to the differences in visual characteristics between melanoma, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. These visual differences pose difficulties for models in discerning subtle features and patterns accurately. However, a remarkable breakthrough in image analysis using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has emerged, specifically in the identification of skin cancer from images. Unfortunately, manually designing such neural architectures is prone to errors and consumes substantial time. It has become increasingly popular to design and fine-tune neural networks by using metaheuristic algorithms that are based on natural phenomena. A nature-inspired algorithm is a powerful alternative to traditional algorithms for solving problems, particularly in complex optimization tasks. One such algorithm, the Harris hawk optimization (HHO), has demonstrated promise in automatically identifying the most appropriate solution across a wide range of possibilities, making it suitable for solving complex optimization problems. The purpose of this study is to introduce a novel automated architecture called “HHOForSkin” that combines the power of convolutional neural networks with meta-heuristic optimization techniques. The HHOForSkin framework uses an innovative custom CNN architecture with 26 layers for the analysis of medical images. In addition, a Harris hawk optimization algorithm (HHO) is used to fine-tune the developed model for multiple skin cancer classification problems. The developed model achieves an average accuracy of 99.1% and 98.93% F1 score using a publicly available skin cancer dataset. These results position the developed optimization-based skin cancer detection strategy at the forefront, offering the highest accuracy for seven-class classification problems compared to related works.