One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women under 45. Fifteen percent of all breast cancers occur in this age group. Breast cancer in younger women is usually more aggressive and has a lower survival rate.
Early detection is key to breast cancer survival. If it is discovered in its earliest stages, a survival rate of 95 percent is possible. Breast thermography can be a helpful tool for younger women that they can begin using with a baseline imaging at the age of 20.
Angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels, is necessary for a tumor to grow. Digital infrared imaging uses ultra-sensitive medical infrared cameras and computers to detect, analyze, and produce high-resolution images of temperature variations that can indicate an increase in metabolic activity and vascular circulation caused by a tumor. Thermography can use temperature changes to detect a pre-cancerous state or a tumor that is too small to be detected by physical examination, mammography, or other imaging techniques.
Women with a family history of breast cancer are at greater risk of developing the disease, but 75 percent of women with breast cancer have no family history. Exposure to certain hormones is a major risk factor for breast cancer. A thermogram can detect the effects of hormones in the breast. A doctor can conduct further tests and recommend treatment.
A woman with an abnormal thermogram has a future risk of developing breast cancer that is 10 times higher than a first order family history. Thermography can tell a woman if she has a future risk of developing breast cancer so she can work with her doctor to monitor her breast health.
Breast thermography is not a replacement for or alternative to mammography or other forms of breast imaging. It is meant to be used in addition to mammography and other tests or procedures. Thermography is meant to identify thermal emissions that suggest potential risk markers. It does not suggest diagnosis or treatment. Breast cancer can be detected at its earliest stages when multiple tests are used, including breast self-examination, breast exams by a doctor, mammography, ultrasound, MRI, thermography, and other tests ordered by a physician.