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