Your opinions on thermography.....

[carole]

I quite by accident found this site here in NZ offering this service, i never knew it even existed until now,

It has been around since 1970 and the training to be a technician has to be done in the USA, it is quite common over there, so i thought it would be good to ask you all, this is an alternative to mammograms,non-invasive,no pain etc involved and it says it has much earlier detection than mammograms, it is however controversial in NZ especially in the medical sector.

I am curious if anyone has ever used it, knows about it, or would recommend it or not,if you wish to read more about it, this is the website www.thermographynz.co.nz thanks.

P.S as many of you know my mother had breast cancer, so i have to have mammograms yearly, obviously i do not want to choose anything that may put me at further risk.

[moosmom]

Carole,

I've never heard of it. I know that when they suspect a lump or mass in the U.S. the doctor usually orders an ultrasound. Thermography, go figure. Let me know what you find out. I'm glad you're keeping on top of it.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've never heard of this either. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and her's wasn't even found on her mammograms. Her doctor found a lump under her arm pit when she was having a physical. I've been having yearly mamograms since I was about 38 years old now and I hate how painful they are. I have digital mammograms taken and they've been doing these for several years now.

[carole]

Yes well i never had heard of it either, it is controversial though, so i guess i am in two minds about it, Donna check out the website i posted if you want to, it tells you all you need to know.

If they did find something you would still need to have a mammogram as it does not show the size of the tumor i believe, and then ultrasound and the usual biopsy etc, i am due for mine next month, so just looking into this, it is slightly more expensive about 125 for mammogram and 160 for thermograph or if out of town which i am 190 so i guess that would come into my decision as well.

I must admit i am a little nervous about the idea of change, especially if it is controversial and the medical sector are not promoting it.

[Medusa]

I've not heard of it either. That's one of the things I like most about PT; you learn something new nearly every day. I'm glad that you're diligent w/the mammograms, etc., Carole, especially w/your family history. Please keep us updated. :)

[Karen]

I have not heard it recommended, and know several breast cancer survivors offline, as well as on Pet Talk. If they would have to do a mammogram anyway, I don't really see the point. As a female, my doctor makes sure I get an annual mammogram now that I am over age 39, and she has never mentioned thermography, which I believe she would if it was better at detection. One good thing about living where we do is that we have quite literally some of the best medical facilities in the world right nearby.

[carole]

Karen you only need a mammogram if the thermography shows there is a problem otherwise you do not, if you read the website you will see the US FDA has approved it for breast screening, i am suprised that no-one in the states has heard of it, from my understanding that is where it all began, and the registered nurse who is the technician who does the procedure had to go to the states to complete her training, it costs the doctor about 100 thousand dollars to set it up, so i guess that is why many don't, some how i think i will be sticking to the old method,even though it can be a tad painful at times,at least it is proven, i just like the aspect that the thermography has no radiation, and is pain free as well.

[Karen]

Okay - Carole, if you remember, remind in November - when I have my annual physical, I'll ask my doc about it. She'd good at random questions!

[Catty1]

http://www.drnudelman.ca/news.htm

Breast THERMOGRAPHY detects patterns of heat emitted from increased circulation, due to abnormal metabolic activity in cancer cells. Thus, THERMOGRAPHY is a physiological test.

Info from a Canadian site: http://sunleitehealth.ca/breastthermography.html

Excerpts:

Can thermography diagnose breast cancer?

No. Thermography, like mammography is a screening tool. Thermography identifies abnormal physiological changes in your breasts that may be cancerous. Mammography, a type of x-ray, identifies certain structures in the breast that can potentially be cancer. With both Mammography and Thermography, definitive diagnosis is done by other procedures such as a biopsy or lumpectomy.
Does thermography have the ability to show exactly where there is a tumor?

Thermography does not have the ability to pinpoint the location of a tumor for biopsy purposes. Consequently, for a comprehensive analysis, if indicated, an ultrasound and/or mammography are recommended to complement breast thermography if breast cancer is suspected.
Why do I need to do thermography when there are mammograms?

Current methods used to detect breast cancer depend primarily on the combination of both physical examination and mammography. While this approach has become the mainstay of early breast cancer detection, mortality from this disease has gone relatively unchanged for 40 years. Since the prevention of breast cancer has not become a reality as of yet, efforts must be directed at detecting breast cancer at its earliest stage, when there is the greatest potential for successful treatment. Consequently, the addition of breast thermography to the frontline of early breast cancer detection brings a great deal of good news for women.

[carole]

Thank you for your research Candace,can always rely on you my friend,from the sounds of it, it would be good to have both thermography and a mammogram, not that i can afford both, so i think i am going to stick with the mammograms myself.

[Catty1]

I think that is a good idea, Carole. I myself might risk the thermo procedure, but only because I have never had any mammos with problems. The thermo would tell me if the mammogram was worth my while. The thermo is an infrared scan that finds areas of unusually high blood circulation, which tumours have...but so can other things!

[carole]

Candace my mammograms have been all clear so far so good, fingers crossed, but with my mother's history i cannot afford to be complacent, and must do what is best for me , and i am just not so sure about replacing my mammogram with thermography, would be great to have both i think though.