Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) holds immense promise as a powerful label-free and non-invasive clinical diagnostic tool, leveraging its exceptional sensitivity to phase shifts to capture high-quality and unique morphological data. However, as the adoption of deep learning algorithms becomes increasingly enticing for medical image analysis, clinicians’ apprehensions towards their black-box nature is a deterrent for the adoption of novel methods that rely on them. This study advocates for the integration of explainable AI techniques with QPI-based diagnostics to effectively interpret deep learning models' predictions, enabling them in aiding clinician decisions. Using radiation resistance in head and neck cancer as a model system, we investigate cells that have survived exposure to varying levels of radiation. We aim to identify subtle phenotypic differences induced by DNA damage, which might not be readily apparent without the application of sophisticated deep learning analysis. This investigation has the potential to provide valuable insights into the cellular responses to radiation and unravel intricate patterns that traditional analysis methods might overlook, possibly leading to actionable biomarkers. In addition, we compare the results of classical rule based interpretable methods with modern feature importance based explainability to answer - is the trade-off between interpretability and accuracy actually worth it? By providing transparent insights into the decision making process, explainable deep learning empowers clinicians to validate, interpret, and refine diagnostic outcomes, bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and clinical practice.
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