Breast
thermography, or MammoTherms are an FDA-approved technology
that provides very useful information that can help you determine
whether or not you have breast cancer. Many scientific studies have
shown that MammoTherms provide a more accurate and earlier risk
assessment for breast cancer than all other screening tests in
general clinical practice.
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Studies show that
when combined with mammograms, MammoTherms are 95%
sensitive and 90% accurate
compared to 75-85% accuracy for mammograms, alone. |
MammoTherms are not
new. Their popularity is rapidly growing because of cutting edge
scientific breakthroughs in thermography. They are 100% safe, have
no radiation exposure, are done in a private setting, and have no
need for breast compression. Studies over five years report that
MammoTherms are 95% sensitive and 90% accurate in pre-menopausal
women in detecting breast cancer. This is a remarkable achievement,
considering that mammography has been shown to be accurate in the
range of only 75-85%.
MammoTherms Can
Plays a Special Role for Women between 25 and 40
Studies in
post-menopausal women show that when MammoTherms and mammograms are
combined there is a 95% accuracy in detecting breast cancer. One
special application for MammoTherms is in women between the age of
25 and 40, where mammography is not recommended, and where the most
devastating and difficult to treat cases of breast cancer develop.
We know that
mammography reveals many lesions that are “suspicious” for cancer,
but that only one in three to five biopsies turns out to be breast
cancer. This means that most breast biopsies are performed
unnecessarily due to false positive findings with mammography. This
carries a significant psychological and economic burden for women
concerned about the particularly high incidence of breast cancer in
Northern California who don’t have cancer at all. And, because there
is new research suggesting that breast biopsies often actually
spread cancer, it would be a major accomplishment to know when a
biopsy is really necessary. Today, with MammoTherms we believe this
is possible.
MammoTherms
measure natural infrared heat emitted by the breast.
A challenge to the autonomic nervous system is performed by blowing
air at 68 degrees onto the chest for five minutes and collecting
more than 100 infrared images. Blood vessels in normal breast tissue
respond by constricting. However, because cancerous tissues do not
have a nerve supply they cannot regulate blood flow, so they remain
warm, making them stand out and appear as “hot” spots within the
cooled breast. Very specific patterns of heat emission occur in
cancer, fibrocystic tissue, benign adenomas, infections, and
pregnancy that can be reliably differentiated by professionals
trained
to interpret infrared scans.
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Women should have their first MammoTherm at age 25 to
establish their baseline "thermal signature..." |
We recommend that women get their
first MammoTherm at age 25 to establish their “thermal signature,”
which is unique in each woman. Testing is recommended every year or
two until age 40, when we recommend an annual examination as long as
testing remains normal. Every patient’s MammoTherm films are
electronically stored for comparison with future studies. We also
offer comprehensive advice regarding how to lower the risk for
developing breast cancer and to maintain optimal health.
A very
sensitive grading system makes it possible to predict the
risk for cancer and to offer recommendations regarding when to
repeat testing or to do additional studies such as a mammogram,
ultrasound, MRI, or biopsy.
In the event you have an abnormal
breast thermogram, we advise that you make a 15-minute appointment
with our medical director, Dr. Len Saputo, to review your findings
and work out a personalized, detailed diagnostic work up. |
