Correlated Multiple IHC Virtual Staining for Breast Histopathological Images

Xianchao Guan, Zheng Zhang, Yifeng Wang, Ye Zhang, Danling Jiang, Yongbing Zhang

Abstract: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) examination is essential for determining breast cancer subtypes and provides critical prognostic factors to guide treatment decisions. However, the complex and expensive preparation of IHC staining limits its widespread use in clinical practice. Recent advancements in generative models have introduced virtual staining as a promising alternative, yet obtaining pixel-level paired data in clinical settings remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we propose Multi-IHC Net, which utilizes unpaired data to simultaneously generate Ki67, ER, PR, and HER2 images from H&E-stained breast tissue. Specifically, a general encoder extracts generalized features from H&E images, while interactive decoders reconstruct the four types of IHC images. Additionally, a feature alignment module also models the correlations among the different IHC stains. To enhance accuracy, we introduce a pathology consistency mechanism between H&E and adjacent IHC images. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our method compared to state-of-the-art approaches.