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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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%.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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%.
10. 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.