the difference...
what is breast thermography/Sonography?
What is thermography?
Thermography, or Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), is a non-invasive, painless screening technique that demonstrates thermal patterns present on the skin that may be indicative of internal dysfunction. It uses thermographic cameras that usually detect radiation in the long-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature. This is how thermography allows us to see variations in temperature. The best part of thermography is that it’s as simple as having your picture taken. It is a good idea that you find a thermography company that uses board certified radiologists with extensive experience in general diagnostic as well as breast imaging.
Why thermography?
Thermography aids in the detection and monitoring of many types of disease and physical injury. One of the most common applications is in breast cancer screening. It can be quite helpful with women having dense breasts, usually younger women. The dense normal tissue decreases the sensitivity of a mammogram but does not impact thermographic imaging. Medical DITI has a host of indications and can assist in diagnosing and evaluating a large amount of conditions and injuries.
There are a host of indications for medical DITI other than monitoring breast health. Thermography can assist in the diagnosis and evaluation of a large number of injuries and conditions. Many people undergo periodic whole-body screening because of thermography’s ability to detect conditions and diseases before they become visible on standard diagnostic tests. Individuals with unexplained pain can also benefit. Thermal changes are most often the earliest sign of diabetes, immune dysfunction, vascular disease, and thyroid dysfunction. It is also the earliest indication of systemic inflammation, which is a precursor to many diseases, including cancer.
Uniquely, thermography is used as an aid in diagnosis or monitoring treatment in the following conditions:
- Unexplained pain
- Headache
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Dental and periodontal disease
- Vascular disease
- Back injuries
- Identification of myofascial trigger points and tender points
- Monitoring the effects of Therapeutics
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
Breast Screening
DITI aids in the early detection of breast cancer and other breast disorders by monitoring abnormal physiology. Worrisome physiologic changes are often detectable years before a tumor becomes visible on a mammogram. In about 70% of cases, thermal changes are the first sign of a developing cancer. The abnormal physiologic changes are not specific to cancer but are a marker of increased risk. A persistently positive thermogram is a far more accurate assessment of your breast cancer risk than family history.
Using ultrasound in combination with thermography to screen for cancer is optimal. This is because ultrasound is able to locate the area of suspicious tissue, unlike thermography or mammography. It does this by using high frequency sound waves that are bounced off the breast tissue and collected as an echo to produce an image. Ultrasound also has the ability to detect some tumors not detected by mammography.
It is important to establish a stable baseline before proceeding to a routine annual screening. This is because every woman’s breasts have a unique thermal pattern. This is done by obtaining an initial thermogram, followed by another study three months later. If there is no change in interval between the two studies, then your baseline has been established. This would be considered “normal” for you. Now that your baseline has been established, it is archived for annual comparison. Any change from this baseline is suggestive of developing pathology.
Thermography has so many unique abilities. It can detect physiological changes associated with a cancer while it is still at the cellular level, before it becomes visible on a mammogram. It can indicate estrogen dominance, an imbalance in estrogen levels associated with higher breast cancer risk. It can detect lymphatic congestion, also a precursor to disease. Amazingly, the effects of diet are also clearly seen. Women can see a remarkable difference in their thermal patterns when they switch to a healthier, plant based diet. Overall, thermography is a way to monitor breast health, not just a way to detect breast disease.
Ultrasound Breast Screening
Breast ultrasound screening (or sonography) uses sound ways to create images of internal breast structures. A small, handheld probe that uses high-frequency sound waves glides over the breast and axilla (armpit) area and collects the emitted sounds. From there, a computer generates ultrasound imagery, which shows the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs. Like a breast mammogram, a radiologist interprets the results after your breast ultrasound screening.
Ultrasound screening is a great tool for determining if a palpable breast lump is benign vs. malignant. Mammograms can miss breast lumps that are found near the surface of breast tissue. In this case, an ultrasound screening is best at detection over a mammogram, which can miss a breast lump. When a lump can be felt, breast imaging is completed for a diagnosis rather than a mammogram screening.
Ultrasound is painless, noninvasive and does not use radiation. In fact, it is a safe screening tool for expectant mothers or mothers who are nursing. This procedure requires little to no preparation and takes approximately fifteen minutes to complete.
know the risks...
what is Mammography?
Mammography (also called mastography) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses or microcalcifications.
For almost the last 40 years mammography has been the medical industry’s “gold standard” breast cancer screening tool. This procedure is what has been pushed on women with great energy by physicians, public health programs, and cancer organizations. However, mounting scientific evidence indicates that mammography may not only be far less effective than we have been led to believe, but that it also has numerous drawbacks that are affecting women on a massive scale. Mammograms are not only often ineffective, but they could do more harm than good as well. Detection is not prevention.
In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2012 proved that women carrying the BRCA 1/2 mutation are extremely susceptible to developing radiation-induced cancer, meaning that mammograms are much more harmful to them. False positives are another problem. One study found that there was an overdiagnosis rate of 24.4%. It also found that in younger women (below the screening age) the overdiagnosis rate rose to 48.3%.
False negatives are another concern. About 1 in 5 women will get a false negative. False negatives are more likely to occur in breasts that are dense (younger women have dense breast tissue, which is why it is not recommended). Mammograms aren’t a 100% accurate diagnostic tool. Unfortunately, women with a clean mammogram may ignore symptoms thinking there’s no way they have cancer.
Both tests can produce images of the breasts, and both offer the possibility of early breast cancer detection. But other than that, they have nothing in common. They are different tests, produced in different ways, showing completely different things.
Mammography can show you if you have a cancer or not, but that’s it; thermography offers you the chance to become aware of worrisome physiological changes before there is a diagnosable cancer. This is the time to make risk-reduction strategies such as diet, exercise, and stress reduction are most effective. Mammography involves radiation and breast compression which can rupture an implant; thermography requires neither. Mammography shows anatomy (structure); thermography is a physiological test only. Mammography can detect cancers very early, as small as a few millimeters; thermography cannot “see” a cancer but instead measures subtle temperature changes in the skin associated with underlying pathology.
One does not replace the other. It is FDA approved as an adjunct to mammography. It adds a much needed piece to the early detection puzzle, providing risk information and possible early warning that mammography cannot.
To learn more about mammograms and why they are the biggest scam perpetrated on women in medical history click here. More mammography screening information can also be found here.
All in all, do what’s right for you and what you’re comfortable with. Do Not allow anyone- surgeon, doctor, physician, friend- to convince you to change your mind or use fear as a tactic. Stay strong and go with your gut.