1. A method of processing a mammographic image comprising: (a) converting a projection map of an image into a density map of the image; (b) performing a transform on the density map; (c) filtering the transformed data; (d) performing an inverse transform on the filtered data to provide a new image; and (e) segmenting and enhancing the new image using multiple thresholds to process image data corresponding to at least a peripheral region of a breast in the image to provide an image having peripheral equalization.