Who should have this test?
Who can get screened with thermography?
Breast thermography should be included as part of every woman’s regular breast health care. If breast cancer is detected and treated in the earliest stages, cure rates greater than 95 percent are possible.
In younger females, breast cancer can be particularly aggressive. With the incidence of breast cancer on the rise and the mortality rate having minimal change, it is important to be proactive. According to the American Cancer Society “Breast Cancer Guidelines and Statistics” printed in 2005, 15 percent of all breast cancers can occur between the ages of 20 and 44.
Unfortunately, there have been no guidelines for the use of imaging procedures during these years. Fortunately, breast thermography has shown to be an effective tool and has been studied for over 30 years, including more than 800 peer-reviewed breast thermography studies.
BREAST THERMOGRAPHY GUIDELINES FOR TESTING
- Initial thermography scan by age 20
- 20-30 years of age: every 3 years
- 30 years of age and over: every year
I just had my mammogram done. Isn’t that enough?
Mammograms are a useful tool; however, they do have their limitations. Mammograms do not decisively give your breast health a clean bill of health and have an average sensitivity range of 80 percent while missing 20% of cases.
In September 2000, a large, long-term Canadian study was conducted about the benefits of mammography. The study found that annual mammograms were no more effective in preventing deaths from breast cancer than periodic physical examinations for women in their 50s.
By having your mammogram and thermography scans done, studies have shown an increase in survival rates (1). Please click here to see the breakdown of thermography, mammography, and ultrasounds in their benefits and risks.
- M. Gautherie, Ph.D.; Thermobiological Assessment of Benign and Malignant Breast Diseases. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 1983; V 147, No. 8: 861-869.
Can thermography replace mammograms?
Breast thermography is not a stand-alone tool in the screening for breast cancer. It is adjunctive, and has a tremendous role in helping screen and discover the risk ratio involving breast cancer.