| Most women are familiar with mammography as | | | | measures heat emitted from the body and is |
| our "gold standard" for breast cancer screening. | | | | accurate to 1/100th of a degree. DITI examines |
| However, there are additional tools available that | | | | physiology, NOT structure. It is in this capacity |
| women can add to their arsenal. | | | | that DITI can monitor breast HEALTH over time |
| One of the most effective tools in breast cancer | | | | and alert a patient or physician to a developing |
| screening is breast self-exam (BSE). However, | | | | problem; possibly before a lump can be seen on |
| BSE works best when women are appropriately | | | | X-ray or palpated clinically. There are no test |
| trained in the procedure, and then followed-up | | | | limitations such as breast density. DITI is a |
| with annual clinical breast exams (CBE) from their | | | | non-invasive test that does not emit radiation. |
| physicians. In a 2000 University of Toronto study, | | | | The unique characteristics of cancer allow DITI to |
| approximately 20,000 women were screened for | | | | detect breast cancer at an earlier stage of |
| breast cancer with BSE and annual CBE, and | | | | growth. As cancer is developing, it builds its own |
| 20,000 were screened with BSE and | | | | blood supply which is then reflected as increased |
| mammograms. After more than 10 years, the | | | | heat in that particular region of the breast. DITI |
| BSE and annual CBE reported 610 cases of | | | | has a specificity of 83%; which reflects a problem |
| invasive breast cancer, and 105 deaths. In the | | | | in its early stages of development not late-stage |
| BSE and mammogram group, there were 622 | | | | cancer as in mammography. An abnormal |
| cases of invasive breast cancer and 107 deaths. | | | | thermogram carries a 10-times greater risk for |
| Without question, the first line of defense against | | | | cancer and a persistently abnormal thermogram |
| breast cancer begins with diligent BSE. | | | | carries a 22-times greater risk for cancer. |
| Other tools that are available to women include | | | | Clinical research studies continue to support |
| the AMAS (anti-malignan antibody screen) test | | | | thermography's role as an adjunctive tool in |
| and the NMP Nuclear matrix protein) test. Both | | | | breast cancer screening and the ONLY tool that |
| these are blood tests that measure a certain | | | | measures breast health over time. There are now |
| protein in the blood that may indicate cancer. The | | | | more than 800 publications on over 300,000 |
| AMAS test has been around for several years | | | | women in clinical trials. A recent finding published in |
| while the NMP test has not been available until | | | | the American Journal of Radiology in 2003 showed |
| only recently. Clinical trials continue in this area. | | | | that thermography has 99% sensitivity in |
| One additional tool that may detect an issue early | | | | identifying breast cancer with single examinations |
| is digital infrared thermal imaging or DITI. In 1982, | | | | and limited views. Scientists concluded that a |
| the FDA approved thermography as an | | | | negative thermogram is powerful evidence that |
| adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening. DITI | | | | cancer is not present. |