Breast Thermography

Kaara, digital breast tomosynthesis is available. It overcomes the limitations of conventional mammography. The big problem in conventional medieval mammography is that 3D anatomical information is projected into a 2D image plane, limiting the ability to detect certain cancers.

As we know, dense breast tissue and overlapping structures may lead to false positive or false negative results.

What I'm going to do, from now on, is first thermographs, if suspicious, then breast ultrasound or MRI, if suspicious, then breast tomosynthesis. 

ETA Dedicated breast CT and digital tomosynthesis were both found to have an average lifetime risk of fatal breast cancer of 1.3 to 2.6 cases, respectively, per 100,000 women 40 years of age at exposure. On the other hand, mammography, either digital or screen-film, performed annually in women from age 40 to age 80, is associated with causing fatal breast cancer in 20 to 25 cases out of 100,000 women

Revolutionary Breast Imaging Technology

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wavTV-zo98Q

This is another type if Ultra Sound scan available in select areas.

 http://sonocine.com/

http://sonocine.com/siteLocations.html

If you do thermography, make sure you do the best and most thorough type which includes a special type of photograph and detailed readings of the vascular structures of the breasts.  Not all thermography are equal.

Also, include SonoCine if you can find a provider or someone trained in the art of reading such scans.  My oncologist supports this as a way to avoid unneccessary radiation to breast tissue which is innately sensitive to radiation.

I got my thermogram results.  My breasts have remained stable since my last one and the doc said that is a good thing.  I have a grading of TH3, which is "equivical" (questionable but not abnormal).  Doc says the breasts are a little warmer than they like but it doesn't raise any red flags. Soy and/or flaxseed could cause this.  He said to take Idoral 25-50 mg (which I do) and DIM. 

My first thermography was a TH3 also.  Since that was my baseline and because of my history of bc the doc wanted me to have a mammo and US, which I did.  Both were clear.  So I am confident that my breasts are fine. 

I will also only do thermos from here on out and use other methods only if indicated.  No more yearly mammos for me!!!  If more women would put their foot down and stop listening to the status quo and refuse mammos, we could change the way they do things.   

Thermogram might be the way to go but since my insurance does not cover it this is not something I can afford.  Hopefully it will be covered in the future. 

Interesting article from the Moderators.  Read and noted.

 My question is this...if thermography can detect small changes in breast tissue years before mammography can, why wouldn't a doctor recommend this kind of test, particularly for high risk women.  If changes are detected, then MRI would certainly be the next step, but a mammogram or us would not help because these changes are too small to be seen on those images.  My own early stage bc was picked up on a mammogram by a very saavy radiologist, but still could not be found on us.  Had I been doing thermography, I think it might have been detected several years before, and an MRI would have confirmed that fact.

Thermography is approved and widely used in Europe for detecting early stage bc.  IMHO the FDA's opinion on this device is more political than consumer oriented.  It doesn't change my mind about getting scanned by thermography, in fact, I am scheduled for one sometime in January to see if there are any changes in my breasts that went undetected, as I was never given an MRI after my bc dx, because my BS said there were too many false positives.  We'll see. 

Does anyone have ballpark cost of thermo if insurance does not cover?

I believe in thermograms and have had a few; however, that being said, I will find a different thermographer when I have my next one.  The thermographer was adamant that I did not have BC and my lump was Fibroadenoma.  The rating on my thermogram was TH-3.  I've lost any confidence in this person and wonder where I would have been at within a year if I had taken this person's recommendation that I just stay on my supplements and return in 6 months.

The thermograms I had in Nov 2011 and in March 2012 did not pick up the 5 cm IDC that I was just diagnosed with on April 12, 2012. 

I would be really apprehensive about having one if they miss nasties

Below is a link to an insurance company position paper on thermography.  I found it to be a balanced look at both the pluses and minuses of thermography.  Read beyond the initial statements of Aetna's viewpoint for some interesting explanation of the premise of thermography, and also some of the studies on its use for breast cancer detection and other medical applications.  It appears to me that the consensus is that it is a useful tool, but should not be solely relied on, it should be used in conjunction with other imaging devices.  I know there are some who alternate it with mammo.

http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/1_99/0029.html

I am one who is planning to alternate thermography with mammograms.  While I like the concept that a thermography can pick up suspicious areas long before they can be detected on a mammogram, I would be hesitant to totally rely on them.  I will never forget that my mammogram picked up my very early stage bc when it wouldn't even show up on an US.  To me, thermography is just another screening tool to use in the detection process.

Yes..the technican who read my thermography is very experienced, and did note on my report that the area of surgery that was done three months ago was still present and identified it as such.  He did conclude that it was expected to be seen there.  There will always be scar tissue where the lumpectomy was performed so it will probably always show up on the thermography.

momoschki:  That's interesting...I would certainly ask that question the next time you see the doctor.