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Breast Thermography: For Earliest Detection and Intervention
by Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O.
In an era when advances in health care technology have been met with genuine appreciation and occasional awe, it is interesting to note that breast thermography is just beginning to garner the same support and attention. Thermography is a noninvasive procedure utilizing an infrared camera to detect abnormal skin temperatures, an indication of tissue inflammation. Thermography can isolate potential problems in the breast tissue, including very early signs of cancerous activity, up to eight years before the same abnormalities would be detected by a mammogram.
How It Works
Thermography combines ultra-sensitive digital photography and specialized computer programming to record the amount of heat present at the skin's surface. During the 30-minute procedure, the patient disrobes to the waist and acclimates to the ambient temperature in a cooled room. A certified female technician then takes a series of five images from various angles. There is no pain, no compression and most importantly, no radiation.
The images are transmitted electronically to physicians who are specially trained through a program offered by Duke University to interpret thermographic scans. Advanced software allows doctors to identify temperature differentials, note potential problem areas and offer suggestions for additional study.
It's recommended that a new patient have two thermograms three months apart and annual thermograms thereafter. The vascular pattern in the breast tissue is individualized but constant, rather like a fingerprint. The two baseline scans are used to establish a normal, stable pattern for that individual, making future changes in blood flow readily identifiable.
Thermogram vs. Mammogram
Breast thermo-graphy is a physiology test, meaning it looks for functional changes in breast tissue which may indicate trouble years before a tumor starts to form. For example, cells that are inflamed and pre-cancerous grow rapidly, requiring a markedly increased blood flow. The cells release substances that stimulate the formation of new blood vessels to deliver nutrients. The increased blood flow elevates the skin surface temperature. These physiological changes alert the doctor that aggressive detoxification measures are immediately needed. In contrast, mammograms detect structural changes, or changes in anatomy, after a fully formed mass has developed. A lump large enough to be detected by traditional methods (cancerous or not) may have been present for as long as ten years before it is identified.
Factors Elevating Breast Cancer Risk
Early menstruation (before age 12)
Never having children
Starting family after age 30
Stopping menstruation after age 50
Personal or family history of breast cancer
History of radiation exposure to the chest area
Currently taking or have recently taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for longer than five years
Obesity (fat cells store estrogen)
Source: American Cancer Society
There is also a growing, legitimate concern within the medical community regarding the long-term effects of the repeated radiation exposure associated with mammogram screening. In 2001, a report in the International Journal of Health Services, titled Danger and Unreliability of Mammography, cautioned that the potential radiation hazard of a mammogram is not trivial. In addition, annual screening exams for pre-menopausal women results in a potential increased risk of 10% over ten years. (National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Advisory Committee. Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR). Washington, D.C., 1972.)
Researchers have also voiced concern about the compression used for mammography. The force used may be enough to spread any existing, previously undetected cancer cells. Animal experiments have shown that the number of cancer sites can increase by as much as 80% when tumors are manipulated mechanically. A study in Sweden found that the death rate from breast cancer among women under 55 was 29% higher in a group that had been screened with mammography than in the unscreened control group. (The Lancet, July 11, 1992, p. 122)
Who Should Have a Thermogram?
Breast thermography is an alternative choice for all women, regardless of age or breast size, who desire a painless and radiation-free screening procedure. This type of imaging has been shown to detect 86% of non-palpable breast cancers and up to 15% of cancers that were not visible by mammography. (Gamagami P: Indirect signs of breast cancer: Angiogenesis study. In: Atlas of Mammography, Cambridge, Mass., Blackwell Science pp.231-26, 1996.)
Like mammography and ultrasound, infrared imaging does not diagnose cancer, but merely indicates the presence of an abnormality. Only tissue biopsy can actually diagnose cancer. The key benefit to thermography is that it can detect an abnormality far earlier, and interventions can be undertaken immediately to induce normalization of the tissues. Coupled with regular self-breast exams, thermography is especially appropriate for women under 50, but is convenient and safe for all women of all ages. For more information, see
www.thermologyonline.org.
Balanced Living Magazine, LCC Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O., is Medical Director of OsteoMed II, an integrative medicine clinic in Middleburg Heights. Dr. Tenpenny's practice areas include screening breast thermography, bio-indentical hormone replacement therapy, natural allergy relief using SRT and other areas pertaining to women's health issues. For more information, see www.osteomed.com or call (440) 239-3438.
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