A “Heated” Discussion About Your Breasts: 
How Breast Thermography’s digital infared imaging can detect early signs of breast cancer

You may think mammography is the ideal way to screen for breast cancer but guess what? That may not be true.  Most mammograms detect breast cancer only after they have reached stage 2, or 1 million+ cancerous cells.

That’s not exactly DETECTION or PREVENTION is it?

That’s more of a confirmation. Plus you’ve now added harmful radiation to an already possibly grim diagnosis.

That’s why Bodhi Body physicians recommends using Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) to complement your breast health plan and cancer prevention strategy.  Digital Thermography is a procedure that uses ultra-sensitive infrared cameras and sophisticated computers to detect, analyze and produce high-resolution diagnostic images of temperature and vascular changes. The procedure is both comfortable and safe using no radiation or compression.

What is Breast Thermography? Breast thermography takes thermal images of the breasts and surrounding areas to aid in the early detection of breast cancer.

The principle: Thermography assesses blood flow patterns, inflammation and function.

How it works: State-of-the-art breast thermography uses ultra-sensitive infrared cameras and sophisticated computers to detect, analyze, and produce high-resolution diagnostic images of these temperature and vascular changes.

Detection: The procedure is both comfortable (no pain!) and safe using no radiation or compression. By carefully examining changes in the temperature and blood vessels of the breasts, signs of possible cancer or pre-cancerous cell growth may be detected years prior to being discovered using any other procedure. This provides for the earliest detection of cancer possible. Because of breast thermography’s extreme sensitivity, these temperature variations and vascular changes may be among the earliest signs of breast cancer and/or a pre-cancerous state of the breast.

Research: Breast thermography has been researched for over 30 years, and over 800 peer-reviewed breast thermography studies exist in the index-medicus. In this database well over 250,000 women have been included as study participants. The numbers of participants in many studies are very large– ranging from 37,000 to 118,000 women. Some of these studies have followed patients up to 12 years. Breast thermography has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%.

Unique Capability: Just as unique as a fingerprint, each patient has a particular infrared map of their breasts. Breast thermography has the ability to detect a pre-cancerous state of the breast, or signs of cancer at an extremely early stage, and therein lies in its unique capability of monitoring the temperature variations and blood vessel alterations produced by the earliest changes in tissue physiology (function). The procedure is based on the principle that chemical and blood vessel activity in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in the normal breast. Since pre-cancerous and cancerous masses are highly metabolic tissues, they need an abundant supply of nutrients (blood flow) to maintain their growth. In order to do this, they increase circulation to their cells by sending out chemicals to keep existing blood vessels open, recruit dormant vessels, and create new ones (neo-angiogenesis). This process results in an increase in regional surface temperatures of the breast.

About Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging

As a non-invasive preventative breast screening, DITI looks for good thermal symmetry in the breasts. Areas of heat in the breast which are not symmetrical and vascular in nature are more likely to develop into breast cancer. Perfect candidates for breast Thermography include women who:

• Are between the ages of 25-40 with concerns and/or a family history
• Women over 40 who have radiation and/or compression concerns
• Have had breast cancer before
• Have implants or mastectomies

DITI can be used in conjunction with other breast diagnostics because it has no side effects (radiation or compression). Note: DITI should not be seen as a replacement for mammography. The two tests complement each other. DITI can be used in addition to mammography as part of a woman’s regular breast health care, for the most comprehensive approach to early breast cancer detection.

Bodhi Body is one of the only integrative medical centers in the Valley to offer DITI. Bodhi Body believes everyone can be empowered to maintain their health and wellness with treatment programs that make use of all appropriate, science-based therapies, both conventional and alternative. Natural, less-invasive approaches to health are given priority.  Bodhi Body creates a customized wellness plan based on each individual’s medical needs.  The staff at Bodhi Body understands that most chronic disease can be prevented simply by taking preventative measures today.

Bodhi Body will be holding a lecture discussing details and benefits of this procedure on Saturday January 16^th at 9 am.   A clinical thermographer, a technician who specializes in the procedure, will be on hand to discuss the benefits of breast thermography; how it works, and how it can detect signs of breast cancer without radiation and years ahead of a traditional mammogram.  This is a free event.  Please call 480-237-2410 or email info@bodhi-body.com for more information.

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