Breast Thermography: Mammogram Alternative May Offer Better Breast Health Benefits
One in 8 women will get breast cancer. It’s a frightening statistic. While there is much that a woman can do to reduce her risk, such as regular exercise, eating plenty of fruits and veggies and maintaining a healthy weight, early detection is key in the treatment of the disease.
Earlier in 2009, I wrote an article about thermography, which is a heat sensitive digital image of the breast that shows early changes in breast tissue that could indicate a precancerous situation or the onset of a precancerous change. Because mammography does actually increase a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer over time, due to the exposure to radiation, I wondered whether thermography might be a better first line of defense.
I’ve since done some more research in this area, after having a thermography myself (which was a much more pleasant experience that the breast compression endured during a mammography). I found that a study done in October of 2008 at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell found that digital infrared thermal imaging (the most advanced form of breast thermography) detected 97% of cancers when used in conjunction with breast biopsy, after a suspicious mammogram. Of 60 malignancies identified by biopsy, thermography identified 58 of them. Not a perfect score, but a darn good one. Yet it also underscores the fact that thermography can sometimes have false readings, as mammography can.
Thermography was more or less dismissed in the 1970s by a study that used untrained technicians, imperfect equipment and people who were untrained to read the results. Since then, both the equipment and the science of detection have been greatly improved.
Recently, I met with Ella McEllwee, PhD, a naturopath and founder of Health by Choice, a health center in central Pennsylvania. Dr. McEllwee recommends that women have an annual digital thermograph (also known as DITI.) Mammograms are recommended for women 50 and over when considered appropriate. (Individual health histories should also be taken into consideration. Mammograms can be less definitive for younger women with denser breast tissue and younger women may be more sensitive to the radiation, in addition to accumulating more risk with continued mammograms.)
For those with a family history of breast cancer, especially when family members got breast cancer before menopause, using both mammograms and thermography might be the best bet. The following excerpt was taken from a personal story posted on BreastThermography.com.
“My thermogram showed abnormal thermovascular findings in the left breast. It was recommended in the report that I have a follow-up mammogram and an ultrasound even if the mammogram was normal. In my case, the mammogram was normal, so I had the ultrasound. I also had a breast MRI, which was also normal. My ultrasound, however, located a solid mass in the same area detected by the thermogram. Ultimately, two tests showed nothing and two required further work-up. I chose to have a biopsy of this mass, in which pre-cancerous cells were discovered. This abnormal tissue was then removed. Due to the early detection of my problem with thermography, I was not faced with the likelihood of radical treatment such as mastectomy, radiation and/or chemotherapy. The fact also remains that the problem would not have been discovered at all without the addition of thermography to my regular breast screening.”
That’s a strong statement for a proactive approach. This is a disease where the treatment can be agonizing, even if a cure is eventually reached.
The following remark was made by Susan Lark, MD, a noted physician and author specializing in women’s health:
“Every woman should include breast thermography as part of their regular breast heath care. I have recommended the use of this technology extensively over the years in my newsletter. Thermography has the unique ability to “map” the individual thermal fingerprint of a woman’s breasts. Any change in this map over the course of months and years can signal an early indication of possible tumors or other abnormalities. In fact, studies have shown that an abnormal infrared image is the single most important indicator of high risk for developing breast cancer.”
Some doctors say that thermography gives information that is too early to be treatable. But that dismisses the power of lifestyle changes as well as medical interventions. Dr. Carolyn Knight notes:
“My patients are overjoyed to find out about how breast thermography can help them maintain their breast health. Not only can the test pick up abnormalities long before they manifest via mammography, but it can also detect patterns of estrogen dominance, a possible precursor to breast cancer, which we can then work to change by balancing a woman’s hormone profile naturally.”
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about thermography as a safe and effective tool for early breast cancer detection that may help save many women from unnecessary and debilitating treatments.
Breast cancer is indeed frightening especially that 1 in 8 women will have it. I'm trying to keep a healthy life style and I do all of Dan Manson's fitness exercises and I drink a lot of herbal tea. Let's just hope we will find methods to avoid this type of cancer.