| In the United States, American women are told | | | | adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening. Digital |
| to begin annual mammographic screening for | | | | Infrared Thermal Imaging, also known as DITI |
| breast cancer at the age of 40. Long before | | | | measures heat emitted from the body and is |
| we've reached this age, we are advised to | | | | accurate to 1/100th of a degree. Certified Clinical |
| perform a monthly breast exam and see our | | | | Thermographers follow strict guidelines and |
| doctors for a clinical breast exam (CBE) annually | | | | transmit their scans for interpretation by board |
| as well. | | | | certified thermologists. DITI examines physiology, |
| However, the detection rate of breast cancer for | | | | not structure. |
| CBE is only 47% when the tumors are less than 1 | | | | It is in this capacity that DITI can monitor breast |
| centimeter while mammography has given us a | | | | HEALTH over time and alert a patient or physician |
| 70% detection rate. By the time a tumor is | | | | to a developing problem; possibly before a lump |
| detected by palpation or found mammographically, | | | | can be seen on X-ray or palpated clinically. There |
| it has already been growing and developing for | | | | are no test limitations such as breast density. |
| 8-10 years. | | | | Women with cosmetic implants are great |
| Mammography has a high false positive rate. Only | | | | candidates for thermography which emits no |
| 1:6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer | | | | radiation and no compression. Contact is never |
| when performed due to a positive mammogram | | | | made during a thermographic scan. |
| or CBE. This places additional stressors on women | | | | Clinical research studies continue to support |
| who undergo these procedures. | | | | thermography's role as an adjunctive tool in |
| Other risks of mammography include the radiation | | | | breast cancer screening and the only tool that |
| that each breast is exposed to during a | | | | measures breast health. There are now more |
| mammogram. During a chest X-ray, a person | | | | than 800 publications on over 300,000 women in |
| receives 1/1000 of a rad, or radiation absorbed | | | | clinical trials. |
| dose. This type of X-ray is a high energy X-ray. | | | | A recent finding published in the American Journal |
| During a mammogram, however, the X-ray used | | | | of Radiology in 2003 showed that thermography |
| is a low energy X-ray and results in 1 rad or a | | | | has 99% sensitivity in identifying breast cancer |
| 1000-fold greater exposure than a simple chest | | | | with single examinations and limited views. |
| X-ray. | | | | Scientists concluded that a negative thermogram |
| It has been suggested that the low energy X-ray | | | | is powerful evidence that cancer is not present. |
| used may cause greater biological damage which | | | | In conclusion, women need to begin breast health |
| is cumulative over time. In a journal entitled | | | | screening early; as young as age 25. This can |
| Radiation Research and published in 2004, the | | | | provide women with the earliest possible indication |
| author concludes that the risks associated with | | | | that further investigation is necessary. It takes |
| mammography screening may be five times | | | | approximately 15 years for a breast cancer to |
| higher than previously assumed and the | | | | form and lead to death. |
| risk-benefit relationship of mammography | | | | If "early detection is the best prevention," let's |
| exposures need to be re-examined. | | | | start using technology that truly allows for the |
| In 1982, the FDA approved thermography as an | | | | earliest possible alert to a developing problem. |