Thermography instead of Mammogram

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bluesky
bluesky Member Posts: 389
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Has anyone ever done a thermography test instead of mammogram and if so how was it and did you find it to be reliable?  I am just now finding out about this and am considering doing it for my annual check-up instead of the mammogram.

Below is the link with more information. 

http://www.medthermonline.com/

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  • Cowgirl13
    Cowgirl13 Member Posts: 1,936
    edited February 2012

    Bump

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  • twistedsteel
    twistedsteel Member Posts: 156
    edited March 2012

    My experience was reading it was a great alternative to mammography. Had suspicious lump. Got referral to breast center for mammogram. They never called to make an appt w me which is what my PCP said they would do. In the meantime, I chose to privately pay for thermograph. It showed very mild heat in my nodal area but nothing else.



    I went to a lymph drainage therapist for some massage. Then I got a UTI and was back in PCP's office 6 mo's later. NP asked if I'd gotten the mammogram. I said, no one ever called. She gave me a new referral and told me to call them soon. I did. When I got there I explained to mammographer that I did thermograph and was fine. She said, Honey, by the time breast cancer shows up on thermograph, the tumor is huge.



    Sure enough, I had a tumor that at that point was 7cm.



    I think that thermography may have been overhyped by some doc's who may have profited In some way from it. I am fairly certain that Dr Mercola is where I learned of it.



    I would never trust a thermograph again for anything other than skeletal issues. Not cancer detection for sure. I know mammograms are by no means perfect and hate that my dense breast(s) required so many attempts to get clear results. I know US helps with some things and MRI for others. Too bad there isn't something that combines all of them together for comprehensive evaluation all at once for 1 charge.



    Just my two cents

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  • AnnAlive
    AnnAlive Member Posts: 450
    edited March 2012

    I will never trust a thermogram again, and don't plan to ever get one. After having mammograms for decades, I switched to thermograms for screening for the 2+ years before diagnosis, and the thermograms never showed a problem. Then I had breast skin symptoms and was diagnosed stage 3.

    I was seeing an alternative medical doctor who does not advise mammograms, saying they can cause or spread breast cancer. He uses only thermograms. Obviously I quit seeing him after I was diagnosed from mammogram/ultrasound + biopsies. My breast surgeon said she has had other patients who used thermograms too, only to be diagnosed with advanced cancer.

    I tell everyone I know--as unreliable and undesirable as mammograms may be, don't use thermograms to screen for breast cancer.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2012

    annalive - Hi!  Glad to see you post this - as yours is a cautionary tale!  How have you been?

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  • AnnAlive
    AnnAlive Member Posts: 450
    edited March 2012

    Hi SpecialK! I think I saw you refer to my thermogram disaster recently on another thread. I'm getting past the rads super-fatigue, now into lighter fatigue, taking walks even though it wipes me out. Still on Herceptin into June, and I saw you finished yours. Yippee!

    I followed the TE trouble thread for a while, but now I'm following DIEP/NOLA threads since that's what I want to do after the failed TE. Nothing for sure on that yet, since I'm waiting for first week of April to have upgraded insurance evaluated at NOLA. I hope you're getting along well after exchange!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2012

    Here's the article about thermography from the main Breastcancer.org site: No Support for Thermography as Breast Screen. See the "Breastcancer.org Says:" column for BCO's analysis of the research.

    The Mods

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2012

    annalive - yes, you did see my reference.  I hope you don't mind - I left out any info that would have identified you personally, I hope that was ok.  I just worry about people relying solely on them for the very reasons you stated.  Glad you are walking - I just resumed it on Monday.  My exchange surgery was about a month ago, things went well.  I had my post-Herceptin echo yesterday, all is well there.  Glad you are looking forward to NOLA - I hope that they can offer you the perfect solution for recon.  You will feel better and better as time goes by - I have more normal energy back now that Herceptin is done.  Keep me posted with your progress - I think of you often!

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  • Nelisha1
    Nelisha1 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2012

    Hi there,

     I am an Associate Producer at CBC Television and am doing some background research on Thermography. I came across this thread and wanted to chat with you about your experience.

     If you could please email me at nelisha.vellani@cbc.ca and let me know if/when you might be available to discuss this, I'd really appreciate it.

     Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Best,

    Nelisha

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