reast Thermography is a radiation-free state-of- the-art screening procedure that captures heat images of the breast to aid in the early detection of breast cancer. As a tumor grows it develops a blood supply that emits heat that is detected on a modern infrared device as seen below. Thermography can establish overall breast health and is an excellent test for assessing fibrocystic breasts and response to treatment. In the images below the heat surrounding the nipple emits excess heat, a function of angioneogenesis.
History
Breast thermography was discovered in 1956 in Montreal, Canada and rapidly became popular throughout the world. It was FDA cleared as an adjunctive screening procedure for breast cancer in 1982. Recent advancements in technology have allowed us to perform even more accurate exams. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Surgery, performed at New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell showed a 97% sensitivity in discriminating cancer compared to biopsy.
Young Woman at Risk
A very important area of consideration is the neglected category of women under the age of 40. There are over 20,000 case of breast cancer in this age group each year in the USA. When cancer occurs in a younger woman it is usually a much more aggressive form, and less likely to respond to treatment. There is currently no routine screening test for women under 40, and thermography is a perfect test for these women as there is no radiation from the exam. Annual exams are recommended starting at 20 years of age.
Other Uses
Thermography can be used as a whole body approach to wellness with the understanding that there is no “normal” asymmetrical heat in the body. Thermal cameras can detect heat on the skin surface that may show underlying pathologies. Thermography is an excellent tool that your doctor can use to assess your health. PACT educates doctors to understand your testing. Be sure to have them consult the Professional Academy of Clinical Thermology for more information and training. You do not need a referral to be tested, our locations can take your appointment directly.
Surgery: A lumpectomy was performed in June of 2014
Results: The absence of most of the heat impression in the area of concern is seen. The adjacent vascular patterns remain in question.
Discussion: Using thermal imaging during the surgical procedure may have allowed the surgeon to see thermal activity of margins of the tumor. Thermal imaging can help in the post-surgical prognosis and lessen recurrence. The recent debate regarding the effectiveness of mammography as a screening tool has shifted towards thermography as a better tool to demonstrate metabolically active areas of a tumor, rather than the density that may be missed by adjacent dense normal breast tissue.
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Retroareolar Tumor This patient was diagnosed with a 2.4 cm tumor behind the right nipple after thermography screening. She had been for several mammograms that had missed this. Mammography misses up to 20% of tumors overall, and is ineffective statistically in women with dense breasts. |
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Osteoblastoma The right inferior tibia has a delta T of 5.09C. This is indicative of a highly aggressive metabolic process. The patient used thermography to monitor her response to treatment.
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Thermographic Follow-up The images at the left were taken July 2013. A 3-month follow-up was recommended. The patient decided not to adhere to the recommendations and the condition significantly worsened over the 5-month period, as can be seen in the image to the right taken in December 2013. There were several factors present that alerted our interpreters that a pathologic process may be forming. The patient did not comply and may have risked her life for it. Thermography exams need to be a routine in annual health screening in all women over 20. |
Early Detection Saves Lives |
Early Detection Saves Lives The image to the left show a very fast growing tumor. The thermal images show the heat associated with the tumor in July 2012. In only a few months the tumor broke the skins surface and by January showed this thermal impression. Cancer cells can divide fast. Do not rely on any one technology for early detection. |
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Improve Breast Health The image to the left demonstrates how making lifestyle changes can improve overall breast health. The area above the right nipple was never biopsied, but nonetheless is suspected to be early cancer. A significant improvement is seen in the adjacent image. |
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Systemic Dental Disease Some dentists have long claimed a relationship between oral bacteria and breast cancer. The pictures to the left exemplify how the bacteria spread through the lymphatic (immune) system.
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Early Monitoring Could have Saved This case demonstrates the detection of a cancer as far back as 2009 when the patient had a lumpectomy. The doctor did not use thermal imaging to detect the margins of the tumor and it grew back. In 2012 she was upset at the way her case was handled and refused surgery. She passed away in 2014. We have learned some important information from this and is listed in the image. |
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Hormone Imbalance This patient shows heat patterns consistent with hormone imbalance. There are many forms of estrogen beyond E1, E2, and E3 that act on receptor sites. Xeno-estrogens and phyto-estrogens can light up these sites on thermal imaging that may not be seen on saliva and blood tests. |
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TMJ Problems TMJ problems are epidemic in our society. Stress, dental work, and braces can alter the structures of the face and skull leading to improper biomechanics and resulting inflammation. Dentists are beginning to use this technology to see the results of their work. We perform this check on all full body exams. |
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Football Player Thermal imaging of a 15 year old football player shows an L5 Radiculopathy seen in the cold pattern of the left foot. He also has a C5 radicular pattern seen in the left arm. The apical view demonstrating inflammation form the right cervical nerve trunks. |
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Lifestyle Changes Lifestyle changes can be tracked and corrected. This case shows a woman who had a toxic buildup in her left breast. After a year of lifestyle changes that toxic area was gone. Use thermal imaging to track your health. |
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Diabetes Monitoring This case demonstrates how it is possible to monitor the effects of treatment on patients with diabetes. In this case two weeks of insulin improved the temperature differences in the toes. This patients’ blood sugar also dropped from 350 to 150 during this time period. |
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Severe Inflammation This young patient has severe inflammation in the mouth that follows the lymphatic system on the right side and accumulates in the liver region. Thermography can track lifestyle changes that will help prevent oral bacteria from leaking into other regions. |
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Bypass Surgery This bypass surgery used infrared imaging to check for the blood flow through the coronary arteries. We are able to see when a stent has been successfully placed as blood flow returns. |
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Closed Vascular Pattern The importance of both color and grayscale imaging in breast cancer screening is of utmost importance. As you can see in these images the grayscale provides better clarity of the condition present. This is an example of a CLOSED VASCUlAR PATTERN. A thermologist should always consider this to be pathological until proven otherwise. |
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Inflammation Full body thermography can show inflammation in the abdomen long before it can be felt as a symptom or pain in many cases. In this case you can see the inflammation in the upper right quadrant over the liver. |
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Alcoholism & Liver Inflammation Alcoholism liver inflammation can result and be seen on thermal imaging. |
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Shoulder Inflammation Inflammation: In this image the patient has a low right shoulder secondary to an injury that puts pressure on the lower back. The inflammation has caused a re-routing of the inflammatory fluids in order to find an alternative path to leave the area. Internal pressure on the spinal nerve root to the right has caused a decrease in circulation to the lateral leg. |
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Dental Inflammation This is a case example where the inflammation from the oral cavity is draining into the right supraclavicular lymph node |
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Monitoring Spinal Wellness Use of thermal imaging to monitor spinal wellness without radiation and see results at set increments. These images are at 12 visit increments over a 12 week period. |
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Right Thoracic Translation – Causing right intestinal inflammation, right planter fasciitis, & right anterior tibial inflammation This case shows the inflammation created from postural translation. The right foot, right calf, and right abdomen are affected. |
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Invasive Lobular Carcinoma DX with Invasive lobular carcinoma in January 2015 LEFT breast LIQ, Right breast was clean on Mammo |
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Stroke Patient Patient had a stroke June 2015. The lesion was in the right side of the brain in the basal ganglia. Notice the hypothermic patterns on the left side of the body. |
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Bra Too Tight Another example of the inflammation and congestion that an ill-fitted bra can create. |
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Spider Bite This patient came in for her thermography scan and mentioned that she had a spider bite on her cheek, She was treating it topically, right over the bite marks on her cheek. She had no idea of the extent of the inflammation that the venom was creating. Notice how it flows down her neck, as well. Once she saw this, she decided to treat much more aggressively. This made me think of how sometimes we only “see” the tip of the iceberg and why wellness screening is so crucial…whatever means you use…do it regularly! (these images were used with permission from the patient). |
