An image processing apparatus includes: an image obtaining device which obtains a breast image obtained by radiography of a breast a mammary gland region extracting device which extracts a mammary gland region from the breast image a local region setting device which sets a plurality of local regions around pixels belonging to the extracted mammary gland region a local contrast value calculating device which calculates a plurality of local contrast values in a local regions and for each of the set plurality of local regions and an image processing device which applies image processing to the breast image ON the basis of the calculated plurality of local contrast values. Thus, considering a contrast between a mammary gland and a fat region and a stable image processing result can be obtained while enhancing viewability of a local mammary gland structure and a lesion.
