integrativehealth


Mammography Vs. Thermography


T


Moving Toward a Collaborative Approach it’s much more about working together to fully equip women, and men, with the best tools and information for prevention


by Joel Shuler


o maximize preventive care for breast health, which is


best: mammography or thermography? Increasingly, the answer


is both. Conventional medical


care providers continue to promote annual mammograms for women over age 40 as the best way to detect breast cancer. There are, however, more providers in the traditional medical community who acknowledge that thermography can play an important role as both an early detection tool and a preventive care tool for overall breast health. “I see clear signs that the traditional


medical community is beginning to recognize that we all have a role to play when it comes to breast health and cancer prevention,” said Michelle Hart, owner of DITI Imaging in San Antonio and Austin who won her own battle with breast cancer. “That’s a good thing because it’s not a matter of either/or—


MAMMOGRAPHY


• Uses X-rays to produce an image of the breast. Areas with abnormalities need to be dense enough to be seen


• Focuses on structural imaging and has the ability to locate an area of suspicious tissue.


• Early detection method, when breast tissue abnormality becomes evident.


• Cannot diagnose cancer. Can detect some tumors in the pre-invasive stage.


• For most women with private insurance, annual mammography screenings are covered without copayments or deductibles, but it’s important to contact the mammogram facility and your insurance carrier to confirm insurance coverage. Also, Medicare pays for annual screening for all female beneficiaries who are age 40 or older.


22 NaturalAwakeningsSanAntonio and early detection.”


What’s the Difference? Most women have a good understanding of mammography, which involves creating an image of the breast through X-ray technology and breast


compression. X-ray images can reveal early signs of breast cancer, such as dense calcium deposits. Mammography focuses on abnormalities in the physical or anatomical structures within the breast. Thermography focuses on


physiological changes in temperature and vascular activity. Infrared imaging is used to detect heat and analyze vascular activity. Thermography is based on the principle that chemical and blood vessel activity is higher and produces more heat in pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue. Pre-cancerous and cancerous masses need an abundant supply of nutrients


to grow, and this increased blood flow and vascular activity in breasts or other areas of the body can be detected and monitored through thermography. Mammography remains the “gold


standard” for breast cancer detection among the conventional medical community. Standard preventive guidance for all women includes an annual clinical breast exam starting at age 20 and annual mammogram beginning at age 40 (earlier for women considered “high risk”). “Getting a high-quality screening mammogram and having a clinical breast exam on a regular basis are the most effective ways to detect breast cancer early,” says the National Cancer Institute website (www. cancer.gov). But mammography has its critics,


including those concerned about the potential harmful effects of repeated radiation exposure. Questions have been raised for decades, by researchers and members of the traditional medical community, about the need for mass annual X-ray screenings. The National Cancer Institute has noted potentially harms due to radiation exposure, and a 2006 study published in the British Journal of Radiobiology stated that the type of radiation used in X-ray-based screenings is more carcinogenic than previously believed. Thermography does not involve


radiation or breast compression. It has been an FDA-approved screening procedure to detect breast cancer (in conjunction with mammography) for more than 30 years. Still, many doctors don’t know much about the practice, largely because medical


THERMOGRAPHY • Uses infrared imaging technology to detect heat and vascular activity.


• Focuses on physiologic changes, changes in temperatures and vascular activity that could indicate abnormal activity in an area of the breast (or other part of the body).


• Early detection method, when abnormal vascular patterns and temperature changes are detected.


• Cannot diagnose cancer. May provide an early signal that changes are occurring in breast tissue.


• Generally not covered by health insurance plans. Some plans may offer some out-of-network coverage, but you should check with your plan administrator first. Thermography screenings are eligible expenses for health care flexible spending accounts and Health Savings Accounts. The cost of breast thermography screening averages $150-$200.


Source: Breast Thermography website, www.breastthermography.com.


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