Breast Thermography - A “Do-No-Harm” Approach to Breast Screening
Differences Between Mammography and Thermography
Mammography:
- Often painful for many women
- Uses radiation which can damage DNA and may be a contributing factor to increasing rates of certain types of breast cancer
- Potential to rupture tumors causing cancer to spread
- Can damage implants if you have them as well as not very effective for women with implants
- Tumors may be present for 5-8 years before they are detectable, not effective for fast growing tumors
- Can damage breast tissue - FDA Approved
- Unable to include lymph nodes
- Can detect Micro-calcifications, causing in inaccurate results
- Not recommended to women under age 40 due to radiation concerns
- 80-85% Accuracy Rate
- A test of Anatomy (structure)
- Can result in unnecessary biopsies for women with dense & fibrocystic tissue
- Scans are read & interpreted by Radiologists/MD
- Not an option for ALL women due to age, mastectomy without reconstructive surgery, prior radiation exposure
- Not safe for nursing mothers
- Doctor referral required
Thermography:
- Pain-free
- Radiation-free & Compression-free
- Totally non-invasive, nothing touches your body
- Detection 5-10 years earlier than Mammography
- 100% Safe - FDA Approved
- Standard images include lymph nodes in the neck, breasts, and under arms
- Can detect inflammatory breast cancer
- Safe for teens and young women with breast concerns
- 90% Accuracy Rate
- A test of Physiology (function)
- Fewer unnecessary biopsies
- Scans are read & interpreted by Thermologist/MD
- Ideal for ALL women - especially those with dense breast tissue, fibrocystic breast, implants or those who have had mastectomies without reconstructive surgery
- A useful adjunct to other screening methods
- Safe for nursing mothers with breast concerns
- No doctor referral required.
Why Use Thermography?
Here are 10 Great Reasons to Use Thermography:
- Your breasts are always ender and mammograms are very painful: During a thermogram, the highly sensitive camera scans your breasts from several feet away without touching your body. There is no compression and therefore no pain.
- You have dense breast tissue which makes imaging very difficult: Dense breast tissue contains more glands and ligaments and less fat. Mammograms have trouble seeing through dense tissue; however thermograms can easily evaluate dense breast tissue.
- You have fibrocystic breasts and can’t tell a normal lump from an abnormal lump, so you fall into the high risk category for unnecessary biopsies: Thermography can reduce the need for biopsies by 20%.
- You are young and have a strong family history of breast cancer: Annual breast screening is not usually recommended until age 40; however, if you fall into the high risk category, thermograms should be started in the mid 20’s in order to obtain a baseline for all future comparisons.
- You have breast implants which make breast screening very difficult: the risk of an implant rupturing during a mammogram is small, but valid concern. With thermography there is no compression and no risk.
- You are a nursing mother and have a breast concern: lactating mothers usually have highly sensitive breasts and mammography may not be a comfortable screening method should the need arise. Although a baseline cannot be established while lactating, thermography is an excellent method for screening while nursing if necessary.
- You want to limit your exposure to radiation: A routine mammogram consists of two views of each breast and contains up to 0.2 rad per x-ray. Radiation accumulates in breast tissue, and each 1.0 rad of exposure increases the risk of breast cancer by 1%. Because thermography images are thermal heat emanating from the body, there is no radiation risk whatsoever.
- You have had a mastectomy and are no longer a candidate for mammograms: Although the majority of the breast tissue has been removed, a small amount of breast tissue remains in the chest wall which still puts a woman at a slight risk for breast cancer in the chest wall and lymph nodes. Thermography is an excellent option for you.
- You are looking for the best means possible for early detection: Utilizing thermography in conjunction with mammography, ultrasound or MRI increases early detection up to 95%.
- You had an abnormal mammogram but were told to wait six months before repeating: You are worried and don’t want to wait.
Call Allen County Chiropractic Wellness to schedule a pain-free approach to your breast screening at (260) 432-7339.