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Thermography has been around for some time now, and it has already made quite an impact on the medical world. In essence, this is a test, which utilises an infrared camera that detects blood flow and heat patterns in the body. 

The type of thermography that doctors use for breast screening is called digital infrared thermal imaging. It shows the temperature differences on the surface of the breasts and can be an invaluable tool in the diagnosing process of breast cancer. The idea behind the technology is that it showcases potential signs of trouble without introducing X-rays. To understand the technology better, we have compiled a few important points. 

Is thermography a good alternative to a mammography?

Thermography made its grand entrance in the 1950s. That is when doctors realised its potential as a medical tool. Sometime later studies revealed that it could hardly substitute mammography as the main screening tool for breast cancer. The main problem comes from the false positive rate that it often produces. This means it indicates ‘finds’, which are often not cancer. Causes of increased heat are many. Because of this, doing thermography and seeing abnormal results means that more testing is required to rule out potential problems. And even though mammography can also produce false-positive results, it remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening. 

Who is thermography best used for?

Obviously, any woman can do a thermography screening as a way to detect potential problems. However, there are two groups the test is particularly useful for. One is for women under the age of 50, and the other is women with dense breasts. However, because of the problems mentioned in the previous point, thermography is hardly a tool to use on its own. In most cases, it is an add-on therapy for making a diagnosis. 

What can you expect during the procedure?

The procedure itself is fairly simple. First, you will undress from the waist up. The purpose of this is so that your body can get acclimated to room temperature. After the acclimation process, you will stand in front of an imaging system. A technician will take several images, including side and front views. A doctor will then analyse those images and provide a result within a few days. 

Are there risks and side effects?

Because the test itself features only thermal images with an infrared camera, there is no radiation. Additionally, there is no compression involved, like in mammography. This, there is no real risk associated with the test. As for side effects, there are none as well, which ranks thermography as a safe breast screening test. 

Speak to your doctor about thermography

You should always talk about breast cancer risk and screening methods with your doctor. They should be able to provide you with some useful guidelines on the screening methods and the recommended frequency for these tests. If the risk of breast cancer is high, your doctor will not just recommend you get both a mammography and thermography test, but also add in another test, like ultrasound or MRI. 

In conclusion

Thermography is a great new way of doing breast cancer screenings, which presents another tool in the fight against this disease. The test itself is safe, as it involves no X-ray imaging or compression. There are no side effects associated with it. Using it as a basis for diagnosis is difficult, however, so always consider it a supplemental screening. To gather more info, visit this link - https://thenaturaldoctor.org/services/women/breast-thermography/

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