Breast Thermography

When precancerous or cancerous tissue is present, abnormalities develop in the blood circulation close to the affected area. Pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue is highly metabolic, and requires a constant supply of blood-supplied nutrients to maintain growth. To receive these nutrients, the cells send out chemicals that increase flow in existing blood vessels and create new ones (a process called angiogenesis). The enhanced blood supply causes an increase in temperature within the affected tissues that is detected by the infrared camera utilized during thermography screening and measured by the computer. During your screening, you will be assisted by a caring and knowledgeable technician.

The procedure involves no harmful radiation, no compression, and no touching by either the equipment or the technician. Before undergoing breast thermography screening, you will be asked to undress to the waist in a temperature controlled private room, to allow the breasts to cool to room temperature. This takes approximately 15 minutes. You will then be directed to stand in front of the infrared camera with your arms raised. Shots will be taken from the front, the left side, right side and close up.

Breast thermography detects functional changes in breast tissue before tumours form or when they are too small to be detected with X-rays.The procedure can detect the first signs of cancer formation before any other diagnostic service currently in use and is 97 percent sensitive in identifying abnormalities in breast tissue. (Breast thermography detects temperature differences that can occur when cancers have grown to 200-300 cells, while mammography is only able to detect cancers when they have reached a size of several million cells.)

When used with other screening procedures, breast thermography helps to achieve the best possible evaluation of breast health, allowing time for noninvasive therapies to improve breast tissue function. Monitoring with regular check-ups and thermography will assess improvements over time or identify that a problem may exist. The 20-minute procedure is completely safe and requires no compression or radiation. It may be used safely on women of all ages, including women who have breast implants.

When precancerous or cancerous tissue is present, abnormalities develop in the blood circulation close to the affected area. Pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue is highly metabolic, and requires a constant supply of blood-supplied nutrients to maintain growth.

To receive these nutrients, the cells send out chemicals that increase flow in existing blood vessels and create new ones (a process called angiogenesis). The enhanced blood supply causes an increase in temperature within the affected tissues that is detected by the infrared camera utilized during thermography screening and measured by the computer.

During your screening, you will be assisted by a caring and knowledgeable technician. The procedure involves no harmful radiation, no compression, and no touching by either the equipment or the technician. Before undergoing breast thermography screening, you will be asked to undress to the waist in a temperature controlled private room, to allow the breasts to cool to room temperature. This takes approximately 15 minutes. You will then be directed to stand in front of the infrared camera with your arms raised. Shots will be taken from the front, the left side, right side and close up.

The images are then forwarded to a specialist in the detailed analysis of thermography screening. In approximately a week’s time, you will be called back so that we can share the results with you and develop a plan of action, if necessary. If your risk for developing breast cancer is determined to be high, a follow-up can be arranged to screen you at regular intervals, and to provide individual therapies to help remedy the situation. You will receive a full written report of your results, which we will happily share with the health professional/s of your choosing. The early detection of abnormal tissue activity makes breast thermography extremely useful and cost-effective as a screening strategy and provides the opportunity to utilize noninvasive therapies to improve the health of your breasts. The non-invasive nature of thermography also allows repeat scans to be taken without compromising well being.

The efficacy of various non-invasive therapies can also be monitored, to ensure they are working effectively for you.

Breast thermography is beneficial to women of all ages. Women may be examined for baseline screening in their early 20s. The screening allows for more precise focus, if required, with other medical screening tests such as ultrasound, mammogram, or MRI. Since mammography is generally recommended for women of 40 and over, younger women who want to know the status of their breast tissue can achieve this objective through choosing to undergo thermography.

Q: I have an annual mammogram. Will I really benefit from breast thermography?

A: Absolutely. Since mammography detects only structural changes, a lump or mass must already be present within the breast tissue before a problem is identified. Further investigation using ultrasound and/or a biopsy is then required to decide on the mode of treatment. At this relatively advanced stage, it is usually too late to implement preventive strategies and—should the mass be cancerous— treatment options are normally surgical, combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy. By contrast, breast thermography detects functional changes in breast tissue before tumours form or when they are too small to be detected with X-rays. This allows for preventive therapies to be implemented and the breasts to monitored with regular scans to determine the treatment’s efficacy. Many women choose to undergo both diagnostic options in their quest for a solution to better health of the breasts.

Q: How is my privacy protected?

A: Breast thermography screening is conducted in a comfortable and private room. Your results are discussed only with you, and forwarded only to health professionals whom you specify.

Q: Will my medical insurance cover the cost of thermography?

A: Some insurance plans provide coverage for thermography, however this procedure is not covered by MSP. If you have alternate or supplemental coverage to MSP, please check with your insurance provider to determine if your specific plan provides coverage.