Breast Thermography
(Medical Thermography)
Tests for breast cancer are not 100% perfect. So, breast thermography, mammography, ultrasound
and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not stand-alone tests. Each gives different information.
They are adjunctive diagnostic tools.
Breast Thermography
Breast Thermography shows the function, the physiology, the metabolism of breast tissue. It gives a picture of the cell activity in breast tissue.
Usually abnormal cells, like cancers, are hotter because cancer cells are greedy. To feed their rapid growth they produce a chemical that makes new blood vessels grow. This is called angiogenesis (angio means blood vessel, genesis means creation).
A thermography scan shows the heat difference between normal breast tissue and problem areas.
In scientific terms, the normal breast tissue acts as the control against which any hot areas are
compared.
Not all cancers are hypervascular; that is, a small number of cancers do not show increased blood supply. Unless there are other signs, a thermography scan will not always find a non-hypervascular cancer.
A thermography breast scan provides the earliest evidence of breast disease. The sensitivity rate is 90%. This means in 90% of the cases, the scan accurately indicates a presence or absence of disease. Thermography has a 10% false positive rate. This means in 10% of the cases the results may suggest disease where there is none.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses sound waves aimed at breast tissue. The sound echoes back when it encounters a mass. Sent to a computer, the echo waves show the shape and density of the mass. When strict criteria are used, ultrasound can distinguish between a simple benign cyst and other masses.
A negative ultrasound does not mean there is no breast mass. There may be a mass, but if it has the same density as other breast tissue no echo is produced.
Ultrasound is not a screening method. It is a follow-up diagnostic tool to explore the shape and edges of a breast mass which suggest whether the mass is benign or malignant.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Like ultrasound, MRI is not a screening method but a follow-up diagnostic tool. MRI is being studied for its ability to distinguish between benign and malignant tissue masses, and to help physicians and the patient to decide whether a lumpectomy or mastectomy should be done.
MRIs are also used to examine breast implants to see if they are leaking. While ultrasound and mammography can only visualize the shell of the breast implant, both MRI and thermography can tell if there is leakage.
MRI is not a screening method. It is a follow-up diagnostic tool useful for breast implants. Its role in breast disease and breast cancer is still being studied.
Mammography
Mammograms show the physical anatomy or structure of the breast. When an x-ray encounters a mass, it does not pass through as easily as it does through normal breast tissue so the mass shows up as a white area on the x-ray. Medical guidelines recommend a baseline mammogram so physicians can compare the first one with later ones. When a mass is found, an ultrasound may be done to get more information about the size and shape because the mass could be a dense cyst. At this stage a needle biopsy may be recommended.
Mammograms work best for soft post-menopausal breast tissue, and for slow-growing tumours. Mammograms do not view the whole chest wall; they are not effective for young, dense breast tissue, large breasts, fibrocystic breasts, enhanced breasts (implants) and breasts of women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Mammograms are used for breast cancer screening and show the location of a mass or tumour. Mammograms have a 25% false positive rate, meaning that in 25% of the cases, results suggest disease where there is none. They have a 20% false negative rate (missed tumours) mostly in women under age 60 years, due to the density of the breast tissue of women under 50 years of age.
A breast biopsy provides the only definitive diagnosis of breast cancer. All other methods are investigative and adjunctive diagnostic tools.
Breast Thermography
- Is a “high tech” scientific, medical diagnostic technique
- Uses a digital infrared imaging camera and high speed computer
- Is a first line breast screening used extensively in France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Japan
- Measures metabolic activity in cells: problem areas show higher temperatures due to increased immune response and inflammatory activity.
- Is timely: Problems can be found a full 5 to 8 years before abnormalities are seen with mammograms. Early detection provides the best outcome.
- Examines the whole chest, breasts, and armpits
- Is good for all ages: puberty, pregnant, breastfeeding, pre-menopausal and post-menopausal years
- Is good for all breast types: dense, pregnant, breastfeeding, fibrocystic, enhanced (implants) and women on oral hormone medication (“the pill” & HRT)
- Is painless: No squeezing, no pressure, no touching by equipment or technician
- Has no harmful rays emitted so it can be done as often as needed to monitor breast health and to guide treatment
- Results are a better indicator of future breast disease, and 10 times more significant than a family history of disease.
For more information, see www.medthermonline.com