Thermograms More


User-Friendly than Mammograms DETECT TUMORS BEFORE THEY EVEN DEVELOP


by Lee Walker T


he American Cancer So- ciety’s (ACS) statistics on breast cancer are shocking. Ev- ery three minutes in the United States alone, another woman is diagnosed with this dreaded disease, which annually claims the lives of more than 40,000 women. With its incidence on the rise and prevention now considered more valu- able than cure, women are beginning to educate themselves on the option of including a thermogram in their annual check-up. This little-known tool for risk assessment measures thermal emissions emanating from the body, a key indica- tor of health. Available here since the 1960s, it was approved in 1982 as an adjunct to mammography. Also referred to as digital infra- red thermal imaging, thermography has long been used for surveillance and night vision by the military. Since its early clinical use in the field of medicine, dramatic technological advances have occurred in the un-


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derlying science, which now employs highly sensitive, state-of-the-art infrared cameras and sophisticated comput- ers. The American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) is now responsible for training technicians and physicians, providing accreditation for practitio- ners, and promoting scientific research. Peter Leando, Ph.D., an ACCT training officer, conducts ongoing sessions at Duke University. “Thermography,” explains Leando, “offers an indication of inflammation, vascular change, lymph activity and abnormal physiology changes.” Cancer stimulates the production of new blood vessels that don’t have the ability to contract, and brings about the produc- tion of nitric oxide, which causes vas-


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cular dilation, increased blood supply and heat. The infrared camera im- ages this abnormal blood supply, which forms to feed cancerous tumors. To those skilled in interpreting such images, these vessels look different and indicate


abnormal development. Local thermographer Chelle Weber,


CTT, owner of East Bay Thermography, would like to see more traditional doc- tors inform their patients of thermog- raphy, which can detect abnormalities up to 10 years before mammography can. “Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 have had it for 10 years,” Weber says. She also is concerned about mammography’s use of radiation, which in itself has been linked to cancer. “The less exposure to radiation, the better,” she says. “I want ladies to know there are options. The more information you have, the better choices you can make.” Weber was trained by Dr. Robert


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