Thermography v. Mammography

[Bitterroot]

I read a recent article where the author stated to use thermography to avoid unneccessary radiation...and if something suspicious was found, then use mammography to be more precise.

 

So I went digging a bit on the internet  and found a few things:

ttp://www.somaacupuncture.com/breast-thermography.html#sec2

There are plenty of sites that state the same thing, including the following site:

http://www.breastthermography.com/mammography_thermography.htm

The following graph outlines the differences between mammography, medical infrared imaging (thermography), and ultrasound. Medical infrared imaging detects surface heat as a byproduct of biochemical reactions. As such, the test adds valuable physiologic information that cannot be obtained from any other imaging procedure. Thermography is designed to be used as an adjunct (an additional test) to a woman's regular breast health care.

Mammography	Medical Infrared Imaging	Ultrasound
Uses X-rays to produce an image that is a shadow of dense structures. Suspicious areas need to be dense enough to be seen.	Uses infrared sensors to detect heat and increased vascularity (angiogenesis) as the byproduct of biochemical reactions. The heat is compiled into an image for computerized analysis.	High frequency sound waves are bounced off the breast tissue and collected as an echo to produce an image.
Structural imaging. Ability to locate the area of suspicious tissue.	Functional imaging. Detects physiologic changes. Cannot locate the exact area of suspicion inside the breast.	Structural imaging. Ability to locate the area of suspicious tissue.
Early detection method.	Early detection method. Used as an adjunctive imaging test.	Low spatial resolution (cannot see fine detail). Good at distinguishing solid masses from fluid filled cysts. Used as an adjunctive imaging test.
Findings increase suspicion. Cannot diagnose cancer.	Findings increase suspicion. Cannot diagnose cancer.	Findings increase suspicion. Cannot diagnose cancer.

http://www.breastthermography.com/mammography_thermography.htm

 

http://www.breastthermography.org/

http://www.thermographycentersb.com/

Welcome to the Thermography Centers, 805.560.7602, servicing Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ventura, Westlake Village, San Luis Obispo & the Central Coast ~ Now offering FULL BODY Thermography at all locations below.

 

 

Create peace of mind with safe & early breast
screening

 

Increase your chances of detecting indications of breast disease in its earliest stages. 

Identify, halt and
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 of disease through diet and
nutrition.

 

  ...So I am wondering...have any of you had any experience with thermography?

 

[deesam]

 Very interesting,

[Bitterroot]

Sorry that I am so persistent with this thread/post, but since my mother's diagnosis and subsequent treatment of breast cancer, I want to learn as much as I can.

More Breast-Friendly Than Mammography
The procedure is simple and non-invasive. The woman stands bare chested about 10 feet from the device; the imaging takes only a matter of minutes, as results are displayed instantaneously on the monitor; and generally the data can be rapidly interpreted with the assistance of sophisticated image analyzing software. No rays of any kind enter the patient's body; there is no pain or compressing of the breasts as in a mammogram. Thermography is thus a breast-friendly procedure, and its widespread use could save many women from the development of breast cancer and/or highly traumatic surgery and radiation treatments later.

Mammography has multiple drawbacks and many women are beginning to realize this despite the pressure of conventional radiologists to insist on more screenings at increasingly earlier ages.

Mammography is uncomfortable, at times even painful for women, as their breasts are held in a vise during the screening. Mammography is only 40% to 60% accurate for pre menopausal women or for menopausal women taking synthetic hormones. It is also considerably inaccurate for women with large breasts. Mammography is at its best for postmenopausal women, for whom it has an 81 % accuracy rate.

One study found that self-examination was responsible for a greater percentage of cancer discovery than mammograms. A 1996 survey of 281 women by Breast Cancer Action in San Francisco, California, revealed that of the 226 women (of whom 70% were between the ages of 40 and 59) who had breast cancer, 44% discovered this through breast self-exam, 37% through mammograms, and 8% through a physician's exam.

Perhaps most damning, mammography exposes the breast to damaging radiation. Based on 40 years of studying the effects of low-dose radiation on humans, John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., an authority on the health effects of ionizing radiation, estimates that 75% of breast cancer could be prevented by avoiding or minimizing exposure to the ionizing radiation from mammography, X rays, and other medical sources.

http://www.thermographyofmontana.com/screening/1.php?t=Screening+for+Breast+Cancer

[Bitterroot]

Bump.

Anyone had a thermographic scan versus a mammogram?