Breast
Thermography
T
by Philip Getson, D.O. & Liesha Getson, C.T.T.
he American Cancer Society’s (ACS) statistics on breast cancer are shock- ing. Every three minutes in the United States alone, another woman is diag- nosed with this dreaded disease, which annually claims the lives of more than 40,000 women. With the incidence of breast cancer on the rise and prevention now con- sidered more valuable 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 in the US since the 1960s, it was approved in 1982 as an adjunct to mammography.
Thermography utilizes an infrared camera to take images of the breasts without radiation, without compression or pain and without side effects. It is the only breast test that evaluates pa- thology physiologically, meaning that it measures the function of the breast and its blood vessels as opposed to all other available tests, which measure the anatomy, or look for tumors, cysts, etc. Thermography detects the physiologic changes in the breast tissue that have been shown to correlate with cancerous or pre- cancerous states. It is widely acknowledged that cancers, even in their earliest stages need nutrients to maintain or accelerate their growth. In order to facilitate this process, blood vessels remain open; inactive blood vessels are activated and new ones are formed, a process known as neoangiogenesis. This vascular process causes an increase in surface temperature in the affected regions, which can be viewed with infrared imaging cameras. Additionally the newly formed or activated blood vessels have a distinct appearance which thermography can detect. It is well documented in medicine that changes in physi- ology can occur 7-10 years before anatomic ones. This means that women (and men) have the opportunity to make changes in lifestyle, diet, nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplementa- tion etc. that can fore- stall or even prevent the formation of tumors. In essence, individuals can be proactive in their own health.
In the last 30 years
there have been more than 800 reported peer reviewed stud- ies on thermography, with more than 250,000 women evalu- ated. Some of these studies, which have followed women over a 12-year time frame, conclude that breast thermography has been shown to be the single most important marker for detect- ing the development of breast cancer and it is eight times more significant than family history. Additionally a thermogram has a 95 percent detection rate when used as part of a multi-modal approach, using breast examination and anatomic testing. It is particularly valuable because it can be performed safely at age 20, thereby allowing for the detection of early stage breast can- cers at their inception.
It is evident with the changing face of medicine, and the ever-increasing movement toward prevention, that women who add thermography to their annual self-care checklist will get the gentle ounce of prevention that worth far outweighs any pound of cure.
Philip & Liesha Getson perform Thermography screenings monthly at the Dallas Wellness Center, 4048 Freemansburg Ave. Easton. The next monthly screening is scheduled for May 13. To make an appointment for a Thermography screening call 610- 253-1977. For more information on Thermography visit TDINJ. com or call 856-596-5834.
22 Lehigh Valley
www.healthylehighvalley.com
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