Thermography-Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging

abbeybundance

Thermography-Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging

abbeybundance

I am very disappointed in this website that it doesn't endorse thermography!

The Doctor who's response to the usage of thermography is completely inaccurate.

I speak from my own experience.  I had an initial thermography and another in 90 days and they were able to detect a suspicious area, which I tracked and clinical correlation from a ultrasound to confirm.

Thermography can detect breast cancer before it becomes a "tumor".

Plus it is radiation free and pain free. 

I live in the Los Angeles Area--amazing clinic www.innovativethermalimaging.  What a loving, caring and compassionate

staff--the report came back in a day !!! What piece of mind.

rubytuesday

I don't know about anyone endoring it or not but I do know it isn't widely available.  I would LOVE it to be BETTER than mammography (which has NEVER detected ANY of my tumors....3 in all....because of my VERY dense breasts).  I would also LOVE it to be in my 'backyard' because it is radiation free.  Would like to hear more about your experience with it. 

Lhunhen

I have had a few Thermographies since my dx.  I choose to not have any more Mammograms for my own reasons.  I love the Thermographies.  No pain, no anxiety, no radiation, no smashing of your breast.  The Thermographies also show how your lymphatic system is doing and after having some of them removed this is a very good thing to monitor.

Cathy

joanne_elizabeth

I have heard very good things about it as wel. The question is why isn't this available? I can't tell you how many women on this site had cancer that those stupid mammograms missed (including me) Just heard on the news that 1/3 of women don't get mammograms, maybe they are smarter than I was.

Joanne 

juliebb

My mother's mammogram missed her cancer too.....2 times!!!!!! I also have very dense breasts. OWWWWWWW! I think I was permanently injured. I am all for the Themography and truly try to pass this information on. Thanks for bringing it up!

Lhunhen

When I first started looking for places that do Thermographies it was hard to find.  Now in my area there are a few of them.  So hopefully in time they will be more available.  I live close to a big city in the suburbs so maybe that is why there are a few choices.  My one friend has to come down to the cities to have her's done as she lives in the country.

Here is a site that explains what a Thermography is.  On the right side is more information, questions and actual pictures of the scans if your interested.  

 http://www.iact-org.org/patients/breastthermography/what-is-breast-therm.html

Cathy 

thermalone

With the increased knowledge of  Neoangiogenesis associated with breast tumors, it makes the use of non-invasive thermal imaging a very important addition to the diagnostic options provided for women. Please reference the following  recent abstract from  New York Presbyterian Hospital - Cornell, New York, NY.

=================
Am J Surg. 2008 Oct;196(4):523-6.
Effectiveness of a noninvasive digital infrared thermal imaging system in the detection of breast cancer.
Arora N, Martins D, Ruggerio D, Tousimis E, Swistel AJ, Osborne MP, Simmons RM
Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, New York, NY

BACKGROUND: Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) has resurfaced in this era of modernized computer technology. Its role in the detection of breast cancer is evaluated. METHODS: In this prospective clinical trial, 92 patients for whom a breast biopsy was recommended based on prior mammogram or ultrasound underwent DITI. Three scores were generated: an overall risk score in the screening mode, a clinical score based on patient information, and a third assessment by artificial neural network. RESULTS: Sixty of 94 biopsies were malignant and 34 were benign. DITI identified 58 of 60 malignancies, with 97% sensitivity, 44% specificity, and 82% negative predictive value depending on the mode used. Compared to an overall risk score of 0, a score of 3 or greater was significantly more likely to be associated with malignancy (30% vs 90%, P < .03). CONCLUSION: DITI is a valuable adjunct to mammography and ultrasound, especially in women with dense breast parenchyma.

<>For more information on this topic, go to http://www.thermology.com

rubytuesday

Anyone who has used Thermography, did your insurance company pay for it??  TIA

FloridaLady

I did and it was read by someone ( radiologist) that missed my tumor twice.  This was a couple of years ago.  I hope they are used more.  My disease was there...if I new a little more about what I was looking at, I could have seen it my self.  Just be careful you use a good center.  They are usually at a Acupuncturist or Natural healer.  I had seen on TV a couple of years ago that they were going to make a home unit you could hook up to your own computer and do it yourself.  I think it does work if used right.

Side Note:  My tumor was the sizes of a large egg and the mammogram could not see it??? After being smashed in the mammo equipment my tumor grow very aggressively before getting into chemo. (I had chemo before surgery)

Flalady

Leia

I've become increasingly interested in Thermography and tonight found this link:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/26/why-mammography-is-not-an-effective-breast-cancer-screen.aspx

I don't know anything about this mercola.com site.

Yet, it's all interesting.  

vivre

Every time I mention thermography I get blasted, but I am sold on it. I had two this past year, instead of follow up mammos. It is painless and if read by an experienced tech, is just as effective at seeing cancer. What  I like is that I feel I can do it twice a year and not worry about radiation. I had enough of that thankyou very much!. As Fla Lady says, the smashing could break out the cancer too. I just spent my whole appointment with my surgeon arguing with him about not getting a mammo. It really burned me up, because I sent him my therms and he did not even look at them! Needless to say, I will not be going back to him. You can bet your sweet booby that if men had their private parts squished like they do to us, there would have been a better way found by now. The problem is, mammos are a cash cow for hospitals and imaging centers. They have invested all this money in those expensive machines and they want to use them. An infrared camera is cheap and they could not charge a lot to use them. They do not want to lose one of the biggest profit makers they have.

Anonymous

"Since then, studies have failed to show a clear benefit of thermal imaging in helping to detect breast cancer. In their 1998 document, "Evaluation of Common Breast Problems: Guidance for Primary Care Providers," Barbara Smith, MD, PhD and her colleagues wrote, "currently, thermography has no role in breast cancer screening or diagnostic evaluation." Several other reports have drawn similar conclusions. That is not to say that improved thermography technology may not one day aid in the breast cancer diagnostic process (see computerized thermal imaging sections below); however, at the moment, thermography is not widely accepted as an effective means of detecting breast cancer."

"CTI cannot detect microcalcifications (tiny calcium deposits that may indicate the presence of cancer). Tumors that contain calcifications may be more difficult to remove completely. Microcalcifications can only be seen reliably with mammography. Approximately 50% of the breast cancers detected by mammography appear as a cluster of microcalcifications. Other imaging exams, including thermography, do not provide the fine detail (spatial resolution) that is available with conventional x-ray mammography. However, adjunct exams (such as ultrasound, MRI, etc.,) may be beneficial in some cases because they provide excellent contrast resolution, which may make some abnormalities such as cysts easier to see since these areas "stand out" more from surrounding tissue."

http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/thermal_imaging.asp 

FloridaLady

I had a 8cm tumor that the mammogram could not find!

Anonymous

Unfortunately a high degree of mammograms are misread by unqualified radiology centers. It is crucial that women have their mammograms performed at a radiology center that specializes in breast imaging, preferably digital mammograms. It is worth driving for several hours to get to such a center, simply for the benefit of the increased levels of detection.

Sadly, inexperienced centers can miss more than 50% of malignancies.

FloridaLady

LJ13

Excuse I was at a top center...again your comments have no value to me.

Anonymous

Since you have already been misdiagnosed by your "top center" my comments aren't directed at you. They are directed at those women who might choose to go to a small local imaging center for convenience and they may suffer the same fate, or worse yet choose thermography, which is an even worse choice than a small local radiology facility.

FloridaLady

Advancing Technology for Breast Cancer Detection

A thermal imaging system is being tested in an effort to reduce the number of breast biopsies.

by Eva Emerson

Six hundred women are being recruited by the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to test a new, non-invasive technique researchers hope will more accurately detect breast cancer while reducing the number of breast biopsies.

Yuri Parisky, M.D., associate professor of radiology at the USC School of Medicine and a specialist in breast and oncological imaging, will lead the study.

Researchers will use the new medical imaging technology-called the thermal breast imaging system-to evaluate breast masses suspected of being cancerous. Then, the team will compare participants' thermal breast images with results from the biopsy to gauge the effectiveness of the new system.

Used as an adjunct to traditional screening methods such as mammography, "the technology may help us determine whether a mass or lesion in a woman's breast is malignant or benign," Parisky says.

Despite significant advances in the ability of radiologists to detect suspicious breast lumps in the last two decades, physicians still struggle with the fact that less than half of masses identified with the traditional screening methods turn out to be cancerous.

Currently, the only way to determine if a lump is cancerous with total accuracy is to surgically remove a small piece of the mass or lesion in a biopsy procedure and have a pathologist examine the tissue.

What's more, breast biopsies have become very common. A recent study in the Archives of Surgery reported that more than half a million women had breast biopsies in 1994 alone-making open breast biopsy the third most frequent surgical procedure performed by general surgeons. Yet, biopsy results show that as many as three-quarters of these women don't have cancer.

USC physicians hope the new imaging system will allow for more accurate diagnoses than traditional methods alone, while also decreasing the number of unnecessary biopsies.

"We're constantly looking for new tools to help us determine if something is malignant-without using surgery," Parisky says.

Researchers still don't know whether the thermal breast imaging system will allow them to do that, but they're encouraged by the results from pre-trial tests conducted at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

"We feel that thermal imaging could serve as a significant complement to current detection techniques," Parisky says.

The thermal imaging system has been adapted for medical use from an infrared-detecting technology used by the military to spot enemy tanks. The human body constantly releases heat, a portion of which takes the form of infrared radiation. The thermal imaging system uses a special infrared camera to record the amount of this type of heat that is emitted from the breast. With the aid of a computer, the imaging system can then create a three-dimensional map of breast, revealing areas with very slight differences in temperature. Theoretically, this map of "hotter" and "cooler" areas will help doctors discern between abnormal, cancerous and healthy breast tissue.

Using infrared technology to detect cancer is "based on the idea that malignant tumors give off more infrared radiation because they have high metabolism and more blood flowing to the area" than normal tissue, explains Parisky.

In addition to reducing the number of breast biopsy surgeries, the thermal breast imaging system may prove less uncomfortable for patients than mammography, since the breast does not have to be compressed during the procedure.

FloridaLady

This study is currently recruiting participants. Verified by Real Imaging Ltd., January 2009

Open trial this is going on right now on Clinicaltrials.gov

Sponsored by:	Real Imaging Ltd.
Information provided by:	Real Imaging Ltd.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00750464

  Purpose

Collection of thermal "images" of women with breast tumors in varying degrees of severity in order to evaluate and improve Real Imaging's device ("RealImager3.0") capabilities , which will assist in early detection of breast cancer.

Condition
Breast Cancer

Genetics Home Reference related topics: breast cancer MedlinePlus related topics: Breast Cancer Cancer U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Observational
Study Design:	Case-Only, Cross-Sectional
Official Title:	Collection of Raw Data of Thermal Imaging for the Purpose of Developing a Device for Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Further study details as provided by Real Imaging Ltd.:
Biospecimen Retention:   None Retained

Biospecimen Description:

Estimated Enrollment:	1000
Study Start Date:	November 2008
Estimated Study Completion Date:	December 2009

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:	Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No
Sampling Method:	Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Subjects with a breast abnormality (identified by mammography, ultrasound, MRI and/or a clinical examination) requiring a biopsy

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with a breast abnormality (identified by mammography, ultrasound, MRI and/or a clinical examination) requiring a biopsy.

Exclusion Criteria:

FloridaLady

Sponsored by:	M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Information provided by:	M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00508313

  Purpose

Primary Objective:

-To establish techniques and methodologies of quantifying thermal signatures and their changes for cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy.

Secondary Objective:

-To evaluate correspondence between changes of thermal signature of a normal organ, e.g. lung or esophagus, versus the toxicity of that organ from chemoradiation therapy.

Condition	Intervention
Lung Cancer	Procedure: Thermal Imaging

MedlinePlus related topics: Cancer Lung Cancer Radiation Therapy U.S. FDA Resources

Study Type:	Observational
Study Design:	Case Control, Prospective
Official Title:	Phase I Assessment of Thermal Signature of Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Further study details as provided by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:
Primary Outcome Measures:

• To evaluate whether thermal imaging (recording body temperature) can be used to check the body's response to cancer therapy. [ Time Frame: 2 Years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Secondary Outcome Measures:

• To perform thermal imaging on volunteers without cancer in order to do comparison studies. [ Time Frame: 2 Years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Biospecimen Retention:   None Retained

Biospecimen Description:

Estimated Enrollment:	45
Study Start Date:	July 2007
Estimated Primary Completion Date:	December 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Groups/Cohorts	Assigned Interventions
1 Patients with lung cancer.	Procedure: Thermal Imaging Thermal imaging sessions, each taking approximately 10 minutes.
2 Healthy participants without cancer.	Procedure: Thermal Imaging Thermal imaging sessions, each taking approximately 10 minutes.

FloridaLady

Two active trials going on right now.

crazy4carrots

FlaLady, I'm wondering how old the article is that you posted, written by Eva Emerson.  Oncologists at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto were using thermography in the 70's and 80's, largely to determine if this method was a viable alternative to mammography.  I believe they discontinued thermography in the late 80's.

By the way, PMH/Ontario Cancer Institute is regarded as one of the top 5 cancer treatment/research facilities in North America, and one of the top 10 in the world.  Scientists there invented/developed the first radiotherapy machine back in the 50's, and Drs. Till and McCullough discovered the value of stem cells in regenerative therapies (among many other firsts -- just wanted to provide some validation for you!)

Cheers,

Linda.

FloridaLady

Both of the trials posted are current trials that are still open through some part of 2009.  As usual with most medical trials... this is not a open and closed case of how value this tool might be. I actually used and could see my cancer. I do know it shows cancer.  Is it perfect? probably not but as noted 50% of mammograms are wrong too... So I wish we had a better system all around. My local research has a active trial right now for using this equipment.

Flalady

Anonymous

No one noted that 50% of mammograms are wrong. The study showed that up to 50% were misinterpreted by small radiology centers inexperienced in breast imaging. There's a big difference.

By the way, what is the statistical rate of error in thermography?

FloridaLady

That why they are doing the trials so please you.

lovinmomma

It really sounds interesting. I would love to be able to do something that was accurate that did not require squishing. My mammo did not find my lump either, I did. But, it is what I have and I will do them as I need to.

orange1

LJ13 -

How do you know which centers are qualified?  I had thought that at a facility where they do mammograms all day long, they would be good at them.  Apparently this is not necessarily true.

Thanks 

FloridaLady

Orange...the thought is if you go in a free standing building or store front not connected to a clinic or hospital they may not have up to date equipment.  My brother repairs PET, CT & Mammo. for a living and said a lot of people have very old equipment.

Flaladu

pk0199

Qualified Centers- I am not sure about in the US but in Canada, we have a Canadian Accreditation Board. Not all centres doing mammography have to be accredited but in Alberta you do. This accreditation not only assures that the radiology centre has equipment that is tested properly and adhering to the ALARA principle ( ensuring a low radiation dose while optimizing image quality) Besides the facility being accredited the technologists and the radiologists have to pass certain criteria. Images are sent to CAR (accreditation facility) and undergo severe critique, passing accreditation is not easy, trust me.

Anyway, that is what you would want to check for in the US is some sort of accrediting program and yes I agree with whomever stated that you need a qualified breast specialist reading your mammogram.

Now I do have a question about thermography and I want this to be taken the right way. I was always told that thermograms cannot detect calcifications, is this still true or has the technology advanced so that it can now?

I would also like to reiterate that while I am pro mammo- I know that they are not 100% nothing in life is. What I would like to remind people is that in order to get the correct diagnosis sometimes  it is necessary to use more that one diagnostic modality. So in the future, consider using more than one modality. If you choose not to do mammography which I know picks up calcs (not sure of thermograms see above paragraph) but do choose thermography maybe supplement it with an MRI (U/S doesn't do well with calcs either).  Basically though, we have heard lots of stories where mammo didn't pick up the BC or U/S didn't or false positives with MRI, use the different modalities to compliment each other for your follow ups, that is what they are there for.

Again though, if someone could answer my question on thermography and calcifications I would appreciate it.

Anonymous

Orange, from the article I saw about this issue:

"...Researchers examined nearly 36,000 mammograms read by 123 radiologists and found that a woman's odds of getting accurate results vary widely depending on who is doing the reading. The worst radiologists missed nearly 40 percent of the tumors and misidentified 8.3 percent of their patients as having nonexistent cancers.

The top performers tended to be doctors at academic medical centers and those who specialized in breast imaging. But even then, the cancer went undetected in one of five women who turned out to have cancer, while 2.6 percent had false-positive results...

Women of any age should ideally ask for radiologists who do only breast imaging..."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004066676_mammograms12m.html

I have read elsewhere that choosing a center that does digital mammography is often a good screening criterion too, since this equipment is the latest technology and offers increased sensitivity than traditional film mammograms.

Hmm, this article suggests a digital advantage for smaller (dense) breasted women. Maybe that's why I remember it as advantageous, since it applies to me:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/new_research/20080129b.jsp 

I have yet to have my first follow-up, though I am due. I am torn between the facility that performed my original diagnostic mammograms, which they classified as BiRads 5 and which led to the biopsy ... or the facility that performed the biopsy, which confirmed my breast cancer. 

desdemona222b

LJ13 -

My surgeon told me that a specific imaging center (a small one, ironically) was the best in the area because of the radiologist he knew there, and of course he knew all of the radiologists in the area.  I had been diagnosed at 2 different centers (screening at one, diagnostic at the other), and he didn't recommend either place.  I know there's another one in Atlanta he would have recommended but it's about an hour away.