Every year when Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) comes around I am a saddened and surprised that thermography hasn't become more popular. Part of this is my mindset. I'd rather focus on breast health and ways to prevent breast cancer at the cellular level than put the emphasis on testing and retesting until you finally do find something to poke, prod, cut out or radiate. That's why I call October Breast Health Awareness Month, not Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I understand that mammography has been the gold standard for years. Doctors are the most familiar with this test, and many believe that a mammogram is the best test for detecting breast cancer early. But it's not. Studies show that a thermogram identifies precancerous or cancerous cells earlier, and produces unambiguous results, which cuts down on additional testing--and it doesn't hurt the body. Isn't this what women really want?
I recently discussed thermography with my colleague Philip Getson, D.O. Dr. Getson has been a medical thermographer since 1982. As you may know, thermography is a form of thermal (infrared) imaging. Dr. Getson explains how thermography works this way.
It is widely acknowledged that cancers, even in their earliest stages, need nutrients to maintain or accelerate their growth. In order to facilitate this process, blood vessels are caused to remain open, inactive blood vessels are activated, and new ones are formed through a process known as neoangiogenesis. This vascular process causes an increase in surface temperature in the affected regions, which can be viewed with infrared imaging cameras. Additionally, the newly formed or activated blood vessels have a distinct appearance, which thermography can detect.
Heat is an indication that inflammation exists, and typically inflammation is present in precancerous and cancerous cells, too. (It's also present in torn muscles and ligaments as well as arthritic joints, which thermography can also detect.)
Thermography's accuracy and reliability is remarkable, too. In the 1970s and 1980s, a great deal of research was conducted on thermography. In 1981, Michel Gautherie, Ph.D., and his colleagues reported on a 10-year study, which found that an abnormal thermogram was 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than having a history of breast cancer in your family.[1]
Early Detection
The most promising aspect of thermography is its ability to spot anomalies years before mammography. Using the same data from the 10-year study, researchers H. Spitalier and D. Giruaud determined that thermography alone was the first alarm in 60 percent of the cases of women who were eventually diagnosed with cancer.[2] Dr. Getson adds:
Since thermal imaging detects changes at the cellular level, studies suggest that this test can detect activity 8 to 10 years before any other test. This makes it unique in that it affords us the opportunity to view changes before the actual formation of the tumor. Studies have shown that by the time a tumor has grown to sufficient size to be detectable by physical examination or mammography, it has in fact been growing for about seven years achieving more than 25 doublings of the malignant cell colony. At 90 days there are two cells, at one year there are 16 cells, and at five years there are 1,048,576 cells--an amount that is still undetectable by a mammogram.(At 8 years, there are almost 4 billion cells.)
Today, women are encouraged to get a mammogram, so they can find their breast cancer as early as possible. With thermography as your regular screening tool, it's likely that you would have the opportunity to make adjustments to your diet, beliefs and lifestyle to transform your cells before they became cancerous. Talk about true prevention.
Clearer Results, Fewer Additional Tests
To many, it felt like the world was set on its ear when, in November 2009, the United States Preventative Services Task Force said it recommended that women begin regular mammograms at 50 instead of 40 and that mammograms are needed every two years instead of annually between the ages of 50 and 74. Some women felt this was a way for the insurance companies to save money, but I cheered these new guidelines. (For more information read "The New Mammography Guidelines" in the Women's Wisdom Circle on www.drnorthrup.com.) The Task Force concluded that the risk of additional and unnecessary testing far outweighed the benefits of annual mammograms--and I couldn't agree more.
Ten years ago, Danish researchers Ole Olsen and Peter Gotzsche concluded, after analyzing data from seven studies, that mammograms often led to needless treatments and were linked to a 20 percent increase in mastectomies, many of which were unnecessary.[3] Dr. Getson expounded, "According to the 1998 Merck Manual, for every case of breast cancer diagnosed each year, 5 to 10 women will undergo a painful breast biopsy. This means that if a woman has an annual mammogram for 10 years, she has a 50 percent chance of having a breast biopsy."
Thermography is a particularly good choice for younger breasts, which tend to be denser. It doesn't identify fibrocystic tissue, breast implants or scars as needing further investigation. It's also good at detecting changes in the cells in the armpit area, an area that mammography isn't always good at screening. Perhaps even more exciting is that a thermogram can help a woman diagnosed with ductal carconoma in situ (DCIS) decide, along with her health practitioners, whether she requires aggressive or conservative treatment. If you've ever had an unnecessary biopsy or been scared by a false positive result on a mammogram, please consider getting a thermogram and using it in conjunction with the mammogram to figure our your treatment options.
It's Safe.
Thermography is very safe--it's even safe for pregnant and nursing women! It's merely an image of the heat of your body.
It's ironic that the test women are using for prevention may be causing the very problem they're trying to avoid in the first place! Another reason the United States Preventative Services Task Force reversed its aggressive mammogram guidelines was because of the exposure to radiation. It's well known that excessive doses of radiation can increase your risk of cancer.[4] And this doesn't even touch on the harm done to the body from unnecessary biopsies, lumpectomies, mastectomies, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and so forth.
It Doesn't Hurt
Unlike a mammogram, a thermogram doesn't hurt! Just about everyone who's ever had a mammogram has complained about how painful it is. The first time you get a mammogram can be quite a shock. Who knew a breast could be flattened like that? Well, the pain isn't in your imagination. The pressure that the mammogram machine puts on each breast when it's being compressed is equivalent to putting a 50-pound weight on your breast.
The Best Test for You
As with anything, I suggest you let your inner guidance help you in all decisions about your health. If you feel it's best to get an annual mammogram, then by all means continue with them. Just be aware of the drawbacks and risks associated with the test. One helpful way to assess your risk for breast cancer--which in turn can help you decide how often you want to have mammograms--is to use the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool. After you answer seven simple questions, it calculates both your risk of getting invasive breast cancer in the next five years as well as your lifetime risk, and it compares each to the risk for the average U.S. woman of the same age and race or ethnicity.
You would be surprised by how many women tell me their doctors make them feel guilty for not having a mammogram. Women who just know they have healthy breasts. Don't be intimidated if you prefer to forgo annual mammography.
Thermography is a better technology for all the reasons I've already described. Plus it gives results that are unique to you, time after time. But there are some things to be wary of. Dr. Getson explains, "To be sure, not all thermographic equipment is the same, nor is every center backed by qualified, board-certified physicians who are specifically trained in the interpretation of these images.
Dr. Getson says that women (and men) seeking to have infrared imaging should consider the following:
1. What is the "drift factor" in the apparatus? Anything over 0.2 degrees centigrade leads to poor reproducibility.
2. What are the credentials of the interpreting physician?
3. The room in which the study is performed should be free of outside light and the temperature should always be at 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit, with a proper cooling system in place.
4. Make sure the images are marked up (doctors call this "stat"-ed) for future comparison.
5. Ask if the studies are read on site or sent by email to a distant interpreter.
6. Be sure that the physician is available to explain and discuss all findings.
Instead of just screening for breast cancer, a thermogram can tell you how healthy your breasts are. It also has the potential to truly detect breast cell anomalies long before mammography can detect cancer, when done properly. This allows you to implement lifestyle changes that can improve the health of your breasts proactively instead of waiting for a cancer diagnosis later. In honor of Breast Health Awareness month, I encourage you to check out thermography for yourself and your loved ones.
To learn more about Dr. Northrup go to www.drnorthrup.com. For more cutting edge articles on health and wellness, visit www.drnorthrup.com and sign up for the Women's Wisdom Circle.
Copyright Christiane Northrup, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
This information is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material in this article is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health program.
References:
1. M. Gautherie and C. M. Gros, "Breast Thermography and Cancer Risk Prediction," Cancer, vol. 45, no. 1 (January 1, 1980), pp. 51-56.
2. H. Spitalier et al., "Does Infrared Thermography Truly Have a Role in Present-Day Breast Cancer Management?" in M. Gautherie and E. Albert, eds., Biomedical Thermology: Proceedings of an International Symposium (New York: A. R. Liss, 1982), pp. 269-78; R. Amalric et al., "Does Infrared Thermography Truly Have a Role in Present-Day Breast Cancer Management?" Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, vol. 107 (1982), pp. 269-78.
3. Gotzsche, P. and Olsen, O., "Is Screening for Breast Cancer with Mammography Justifiable?" The Lancet, vol. 355, no. 9198 (Jan. 8, 2000), pp. 129-34; Gotzsche, P. and Olsen, O., Cochrane Review on Screening for Breast Cancer with Mammography, The Lancet, vol. 358, no. 9290 (Oct. 20, 2001), pp. 1340-42.
4. Semelka, R., Imaging X-rays cause cancer: a call to action for caregivers and patients, Medscape, Feb. 13, 2006, reviewed and renewed Feb. 16, 2007.
Follow Christiane Northrup, MD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drchrisnorthrup
Dr. Elaine Schattner: Recognizing a Day of National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness
Breast Thermography and Early Breast Cancer Detection
Thermography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Don't expect the medical fraternity to come out in support of thermography anytime soon. As we all know, cancer treatment is a hugely profitable business and quite frankly there's no money in prevention and staying healthy, now is there?
http://michellerodulfo.com/body-wellness-breast-cancer-prevention-thermography/
1st Breast Cancer Research Paper (Year 2009) Linking Abortion To Breast Cancer:
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research & National Cancer Institute stated abortion is linked to elevated breast cancer risk in a 2009 published research paper titled, "Risk Factors For Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In Women Under The Age of 45 Years." Study was published in Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prevention Journal 2009: 18 (4) April 2009.
Line 3-5 at the top left column of page 1163 in Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prevention Journal, the study clearly concludes, ".....induced abortion & contraceptive use were associated with increased risk for breast cancer."
To see the 10 page report for yourself, please cut & paste the link below:
http://www.jillstanek.com/Abortion%20Breast%20Cancer%20Epid%20Bio%20Prev%202009.pdf
http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/download/Abortion_Breast_Cancer_Epid_Bio_Prev_2009.pdf
2nd Breast Cancer Research Paper Linking Abortion To Breast Cancer:
This study was conducted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research & was published in American Journal of Epidemiology. It concludes in part, “Among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those with a prior induced abortion was 20% higher than that in women with no history of abortion (95% confidence interval 1.0–1.5). “
To read: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/144/4/373.short
This study was published in reputable Journal of Surgery Oncology 2009:
Turkish breast cancer study. Citation: Ozmen et al. Breast cancer risk factors in Turkish women - a university hospital-based nested case control study. Published in World Journal of Surgery Oncology 2009;7:37 Turkish study reported a statistically significant 66% increased risk of breast cancer for women with abortions. It concluded: “These findings suggest that age and induced abortion were found to be significantly associated with increased breast cancer risk whereas oral contraceptive use was observed to be associated with decreased breast cancer risk among Turkish women in Istanbul.
Available at: http://wjso.com/content/7/1/37
China breast cancer study by Xing P, Li J, Jin F. A case-control study of reproductive factors associated with subtypes of breast cancer in Northeast China.” Humana Press, e-publication online September 2009. The study’s abstract concluded: “Breastfeeding protected parous women from any subtype of breast cancer. Postmenopause and spontaneous abortion were inversely associated with the risk of luminal tumors. By contrast, multiparity, family history of breast cancer and induced abortion increased the risk of breast cancer.”
To read abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19771534?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1
Sri Lanka - De Silva et al. Cancer Epidemiol. 2010 Jun;34(3):267-73. Epub 2010 Mar 24.
Title of research paper, “Prolonged breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer in Sri Lankan women: a case-control study.” Published by De Silva M, Senarath U, Gunatilake M, Lokuhetty D
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, 25 Kynsey Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
It concluded, in part: “The significant factors associated with increased risk of breast cancer were: post-menopausal women (OR=1.74; 95%CI=1.01, 3.01); having an abortion in the past (OR=3.42; 95%CI=1.75, 6.66) and exposure to passive smoking (OR=2.96, 95%CI=1.53, 5.75).” In other words, although the study was focused on the association between the duration of breastfeeding and the risk of breast cancer, other risk factors were discovered, and “the highest of the reported risk factors was abortion.”
To read abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20338838
Researchers in Iran have published the results of a new study showing women who have an abortion face a 193% increased risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, women who carry a pregnancy to term find a lowered breast cancer risk compared with women who have never been pregnant.
Title of breast cancer research paper is, “Reproductive factors associated with breast cancer risk in northern Iran” and the findings were reported in the April 3, 2010 issue of Medical Oncology.
Researchers Hajian-Tilaki K.O. and Kaveh-Ahangar T. from Babol University of Medical Sciences compared 100 cases of women who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer compared with 200 age-matched controls to review several reproductive factors.
The researchers discovered abortion significantly elevated breast cancer risks. Also, having a first pregnancy at an older age increases the breast cancer risk by 310 percent.
The study's abstract concluded in part, “Nulliparity, late age at first birth and abortion were the most important reproductive factors associated with breast cancer risk; therefore, it is recommended to women with these risk factors to perform breast cancer screening tests earlier."
To read the abstract: http://www.springerlink.com/content/6271770515q8451w/
http://gerardnadal.com/2010/10/13/the-abc-link-in-iran/#comment-6790
Not only do mammograms put radiation in one's body, but the pressure on the breasts can break open any encapsulation that the body has constructed around problematic cells. Research shows that biopsy sites develop cancer at a higher rate than uninvaded tissue (even negative biopsies).
Thermography will save your life. Don't let them use those mammograms on you any more. You'll never have to be afraid of the test, and you'll know for sure it's the earliest possible detection should anything go wrong.
For women needing information on breast cancer treatment, I recommend:
www.breastcancerchoices.org
For everyone, I recommend learning about iodine supplementation. The body cannot fight off cancer without it, and most people are significantly deficient in iodine. We need much more per day than the RDA provides.
about iodine: http://www.health-science-spirit.com/iodine.html
How much does the equipment actually to make? Pennies as compared to a CT machine.. way less then even the X-ray tube. How much training is needed.... a few hours of practical use. .. How hard is it to read the results....a 5th grader can find a "HOT' spot. There is no PROFIT in using thermogaphy. It works , It has worked for 30 plus years. I saw some one post a $350 fee. That's total robbery.
AMERICA needs to wake up and realize their life and health is measured in dollar signs. We have the most expensive health care in the world and also have some of the worst care.
My primary daily challenge when caring for patients is to prevent "NOSOCOMIAL INJURIES"... don't let medicine cause injury or harm to my patient. Hospitals injure and kill 200,000 AMERICANS every year. Check at CDC.com for the numbers. The older health care workers like myself are retiring. The new ones are raised by the profiteers. Beware, be careful, ask questions, don't except answers you don't understand. "You have to....." isn't always right.
Find a doctor that has a thermograph unit and have your temperature taken.........
Thermography was proven in the 70's. Even Popular Mechanics ran an article on it.The original machine was made from scrap radar equipment. It takes your temperature in very fine detail. Every lump, bump or scratch will show up. It will show you where some one held you arm tightly a few minutes prior to the exam. Today's equipment is digital and much more exacting then the Tube type electronics of the 60's and 70's.WHY isn't this used??
See my second continuing comment.
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/10/the_huffington_post_promotes_breast_canc.php
Thermography hasn't been validated for breast cancer screening either.
generally it is the ignorant masses that are the victims of the alternative woo industry.
'Alternative woo' doesn't usually take expensive machines, of course. And calling anything not made by GE or Pfzizer such isn't 'science,' either, but I still don't see anything here how this is a practical screening. Yes, mammograms aren't particularly comfortable, and overzealously called for by docs in the CYA business: they're a *photographic plate of your breast,* essentially speaking.
In theory, one might well spot the blood vessels with thermo before the mass got dense enough to distinguish itself, but... Execution would seem to be the problem.
X-rays aren't infallible, even for what they do, you know.