Breast Thermography

Breast Thermography is a technique used extensively in other countries as a first-line screening procedure to assess breast health. This reliable technology exists here in the USA but there is a limited awareness and insufficient education that has resulted in its being underused in clinical practice.

All women aged 25 and older can benefit from infrared thermography. Below are additional specific categories of women who can benefit.

• Those with and without a Family History Breast Cancer (BRCA1 & BRCA2 genes)
• Clients with Inflammatory Breast Cancer
• Fibrocystic Tissue in the Breast
• Dense Breast Tissue
• Previous Breast Surgery – Biopsy, Implant Surgery or Breast Reduction
• Surgery
• Pregnant or Nursing
• Very Large or Very Small Breasts
• Currently going through breast cancer treatment
• Breast cancer survivors

• You should wait at least three (3) months after breast surgery, the completion of chemotherapy or radiation before having an Infrared Mammogram.
• You should avoid any natural or artificial tanning of their chest for seven (7) days prior to the Infrared Mammogram date.
• You  must not have had significant fevers within thirty-six (36) hours of the examination.
• You are asked not to shave their underarms or use any skin creams, lotions, deodorants or powders on their breasts or underarms on the exam day, avoid any physical stimulation, examination or compression of the breasts (self or clinical examination, Ultrasound or X-Ray Mammogram) for at least 3 days prior to the examination.
• You should refrain from a sauna, steam-room or hot/cold packs in contact with the breasts for at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the examination.
• You are asked to refrain from exercise, bathing or showering for one hour prior to examination.
• You should refrain from any tobacco use and caffeinated beverage consumption for two hours prior to the examination.
• Do not wear any necklaces or long hoop earrings.

The Procedure

• In preparation for the scans, and after filling out a breast history form, patients are asked to undress to the waist in a private room to allow the breasts to cool to a room temperature of 66-74o F (18 – 22oC) for about 15 minutes.
• For the actual scanning the patient is asked to sit about 3 – 4 feet in front of the thermal imaging system with arms raised behind the head while three images are taken: front, right side and left side.
• Next comes the cold water challenge where patients are asked to place both hands in cold water at 52°F (8 – 10°C) for one minute.
• After that, the three scans are repeated.  The post challenge scans will highlight tissue that did not respond to the cold by constricting.
• Once completed, the thermography breast scans will be read and analyzed using internationally used and regulated standards by Dr. Phil Hoekstra who is a trained and skilled member of the American Academy of Thermology and also its President.

A thermography report with a color copy of the thermography results are sent to the patient and/or the patient’s health care provider. The international standardized grading system used in the report is called the Marseilles System of Classification developed by the Pasteur Institute in Marseilles, France. This scale provides strict criteria for rating breast thermography scans. The scans are reported on a scale of TH-1 to TH-5.

TH-1: normal tissue

TH-2: some changes in tissue i.e. fibrocystic, but normal response to cold challenge

TH-3: suspicious tissue activity with areas not responding to the cold challenge and maintaining higher heat areas

TH-4: abnormal tissue activity with areas not responding to the cold challenge and maintaining higher heat areas

TH-5: severely abnormal tissue activity with areas not responding to the cold challenge and maintaining higher heat areas.

Level TH-1 provides reassurance that the tissue activity is normal and that the appropriate follow-up is screening by thermography in one year.

Level TH-2 indicates that tissue did respond normally to the cold challenge and tissue health can be improved through preventive therapies.

Level TH-3 indicates that close monitoring through ultrasound and professional examination are advised and preventive therapies are needed.

Levels TH-4 and TH-5 require immediate referral for ultrasound exam on the areas specifically located by the breast thermography along with professional examination and other screening methods as indicated and appropriate preventive therapies.

Why Haven’t I Heard of Thermography?
When breast thermography (a.k.a. infrared mammography) was first explored, thermographic abnormalities in younger women were detected many times but mammograms did not detect any tumors. These results were considered “false positives,” and placed suspicion on thermography. Years later, in recall studies, 35% of these women had developed breast cancer. In addition, 41% of the women diagnosed with benign breast disease (such as fibrocystic breast) also developed breast cancer, thus validating its early warning role.

More than 800 peer-reviewed studies exist on breast thermography, involving more than 250,000 study participants describing its usefulness. The number of women in the studies range from 37,000 to 118,000, and some women were followed for up to 12 years. An evaluation of these studies revealed that breast thermography has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90% for detecting early changes in the breast that can possibly lead to cancer.

Breast thermography is able to show the early stages of a breast cancer forming which allows for prevention via lifestyle, hormone balancing and other changes as necessary. Unfortunately, many doctors are still unaware of the importance and accuracy of this technology as a preventative tool. Some doctors know how to respond when there is undeniable cancer but not where prevention is needed such as lifestyle and nutrition to avoid this disease. (REF: Guthrie, M, Thermobiological assessment of benign and malignant breast disease, Ann J. Obstet Gynecol 147:461, 1983)

“Digital infrared imaging, is based upon the principle that chemical and blood vessel activity in both precancerous and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in normal tissues. This activity frequently results in an increase in regional surface temperature of the breast. Infrared mammography uses ultra-sensitive infrared cameras and sophisticated computers to detect, analyze and produce high resolution images of these temperature variations, which may be among the earliest signs of breast cancer.”

US National Cancer Institute

The Biomedical Engineering Handbook
Infrared Mammography has the ability to identify the earliest signs of cancer formation, up to 10 years before other imaging modality can identify it.
Third Edition, Medical Devices and Systems, 2006

A Comparative Review of Thermography as a Breast Screening Technique In this review, each of the breast screening tools and their associated limitations are discussed, with a focus brought to thermography.
Published: Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2009

Efficacy of Computerized Infrared Imaging Analysis to Evaluate Mammographically Suspicious Lesions The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine the efficacy of a dynamic computerized infrared imaging system for distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions in patients undergoing biopsy on the basis of x-ray mammographic findings.

Published: American Journal of Radiology, 2003

Effectiveness of a Non-invasive Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging System in the Detection of Breast Cancer “…infrared mammography has resurfaced in this era of modernized computer technology”

American Journal of Surgery, Volume 196 Issue 4 Pages 523-526, 2008

“A negative Infrared Mammography study TH-1 or TH-2 proved powerful evidence that cancer was not present.”
The American Journal of Radiology, Jan 2003, 263-269