Overview

How does breast thermography work?

Breast Thermography is a form of breast screening that uses a highly sensitive thermal camera to image the breast. These images are then analyzed by an interpreter who looks for temperature differences between the breasts as well as abnormal vascular signs. These results establish a level of suspicion for breast pathology. They are reported on a TH scale. TH1 being the lowest risk category and TH5 being the highest risk category. These results are integrated with physical examination, history, mammography, ultrasound, or MRI to establish a level of concern and plan of action. As with all the above mentioned tests, the only confirmatory test for breast cancer is biopsy. The advantage of thermography is that it can provide a heads up to the patient and practitioner that further testing needs to be done. After a diagnosis is established, thermography can then be used as a tracking tool to monitor the effectiveness of treatment by observing how the temperature changes over time.

How is it different from mammography?

Thermography is different than mammography because it is a measure of physiologic activity. Whereas mammography or ultrasound can determine the size of a lesion, thermography looks at how metabolically active that lesion is. An increase in breast tissue temperature simply indicates a need for more investigation to be done.

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