Or you might ask, “Who do I trust my breast health to?” As important as certification is as a requirement, background and experience are equally important. Before making an appointment, interview several thermography technicians and ask about their background and experience.

Shelley’s background spans more than 20 years in the medical healthcare field, including surgery and pathology, and 15 years in thermography, which enables her to provide women with the confidence and peace of mind that their breast health is in trusted hands.

Yes. Thermography detects the earliest changes or abnormalities in physiology that can show up in the future as a tumor.

Unlike mammography and ultrasound, thermography is a test of physiology, meaning it looks for functional changes in breast tissue which may indicate trouble years before a tumor can be detected by other means.

Mammography and ultrasound are tests of anatomy. They look at structure. When a tumor has grown to a size that is large enough and dense enough to block an x-ray beam (mammography) or sound wave (ultrasound), it produces an image that can be detected by a trained radiologist.

Most cancers are detected by mammography once they have been in the body 8 years or more, when the diameter of the tumor has grown to the size of a dime and contains over 4 billion cells.

Thermography, on the other hand, can identify as few as 16 pre-cancerous cells within 90 days of forming, long before a tumor can be identified on other forms of imaging.

When used as part of a multi-modal approach (thermography + clinical examination + ultrasound + mammography), 95-98% of early stage breast cancers can be detected.

Thermography can be utilized by all women, all shapes, all sizes and all ages. It is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, women with large or small breasts, a history of fibrocystic breast disease, and women with dense breast tissue.

It is recommended that women begin thermography screenings at age 20. Since most women do not have a mammogram until age 40, there is a critical time period from ages 20 to 39 that thermography could be beneficial.

The incidence of breast cancer in women under age 40 is on the rise. By beginning the screening process at age 20, we are able to establish a very normal baseline to which all future thermograms can be compared. Since thermography looks at how the breast is functioning, any change noted in your unique “thermal fingerprint” may be the first warning that something is going on.

Also, the number one killer of women ages 29-45 years of age is breast cancer. A woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 most likely had the cancer 10 years (age 30). Therefore, a baseline thermogram is recommended beginning at age 20.

Neither mammography, ultrasound, nor thermography can diagnose cancer. Only a biopsy can definitely diagnose cancer.

If a woman’s thermographic images suggest a relative progesterone deficiency (estrogen dominance), treatment of this condition may play an important role in prevention.

Yes. The information provided by Medical Infrared Imaging may detect the first signs of some cancers forming, up to years before other procedures. This give you time to take a more natural, proactive approach to improving your breast health. Early detection is key. It can contribute useful additional information which ultimately helps your doctor with management decisions. It is also important to establish a baseline for future comparison in order to monitor changes in your breast health over time, along with the progress of any treatment.