Women Have A Safe Alternative to Mammograms to Maintain Annual Screenings

For immediate release from the American College of Clinical Thermology.

 Women of all ages received good news with the recent revision of the government recommendations for screening mammography.  The US Department of Health and Human Services released their findings and recommendations that screening mammography should now be started at age 50 and performed bi-annually. Up until now, screening was recommended on an annual basis at age 40; this new recommendation has created renewed controversy as doctors have concerns about reducing the number of mammograms that would be clinically justified and indicated..  It takes years for most cancers to develop to the stage that they can be detected with mammogram or ultrasound (dense enough for location and biopsy) so Breast Thermography or Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is ideally placed as an alternative screening tool to identify changes over time in the ‘early’ development stages, before there is more advanced pathology that can be detected with other tests. If changes for the better are to be made, then the recent recommendations of the Preventative Services Task Force will establish the foundation of a more affective screening program which should integrate other types of safe testing.  Of the various testing options Breast Thermography or Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) offers the most promise for screening the younger age group women.  

To understand the arguments and issues involved with the new recommendations, we need to understand the difference between ‘screening mammography’ and ‘diagnostic mammography’:

‘Screening’ mammography has been performed annually on healthy women from the ages of 40 to 70 and is aimed at identifying suspicious findings, which justify further investigation. ‘Diagnostic’ mammography is performed on patients who have one or more risk factors, clinical symptoms, or most commonly a palpable lump. There is little argument about mammography’s role as the ‘gold standard’ for

evaluating suspicious symptoms but the question was, can we still justify subjecting women without symptoms to ‘screening’ mammography ?  The answer was NO.

The federal department of health and human services  task force says that “the modest benefit of screening mammograms must be weighed against the harms… which are nearly cut in half when mammograms are performed every other year  but the benefits remain the same”. It needs to be pointed out that the recommendations of the task force are not intended for women at increased risk for breast cancer who should continue to be referred for diagnostic mammography by their doctors when appropriate, and on a case by case basis. It is interesting to note that The United States is currently the only country that routinely screens women below age 50 and extends its screening practice by taking two or more mammograms per breast annually in women over age 50. This contrasts with the more restrained European practice of a single view every two to three years. The evidence concludes that while there is a justifiable role for mammography to play in a breast cancer screening program that role is very different from the one currently in place.

For over 20 years Breast Thermography is being used increasingly  by women throughout the US, and it has been rapidly gaining acceptance by doctors as an additional tool in the early diagnosis of breast disease. FDA registered since 1984, Thermography is an adjunctive diagnosic test being offered by hundreds of clinics in all states. A list of certified thermography clinics can be found at the The American College of Clinical Thermology website at :   http://www.thermologyonline.org/Breast/breast_thermography_clinics.htm. Thermography is 100% safe, has no radiation, does not touch the breast, and only takes a couple of minutes. A positive or suspicious thermal study will indicate medical necessity for a mammogram, ultrasound or other tests. The thermal findings will increase the sensitivity and specificity of most other tests by targeting an area of the breast showing dysfunction and providing decision making information in women that would not have otherwise been tested.

Early detection is aimed at prevention and if early changes are detected then we have an opportunity to intervene and change the outcome. The earlier an abnormality is detected the better the treatment options will be, resulting in a better outcome. There are no contraindications for DITI, it is totally non-invasive, no radiation of any type, and no contact with the body so it can ‘do no harm’. DITI is positioned as the ideal screening test for women of all ages but particularly for the 30 to 50 age group. The best possible plan is to use every appropriate test adjunctively to get the highest detection rates without generating additional or unnecessary invasive testing. It would be unfortunate for a patient to forgo a necessary mammogram that was justified, and any decision should be made between the patient and her doctors based on individual history, symptoms and test results.

The principle of informed consent in medicine is ignored if women are not informed of the evidence relating to any risks of a test and if women more readily consent to annual mammograms because they have been given ‘misinformation’ this is as bad as obtaining consent by deliberately blocking valid information. Women are entitled to know the full range of responsible opinion about the benefits, the risks, and the many uncertainties of mammography.

The government task force are to be applauded for presenting the evidence for women and their doctors to be able to make better informed decisions about breast screening.

As reported, the scientific and medical evidence indicates that:

No ‘screening’ mammography is justified for women under the age of 50.

A baseline screening mammogram may be justified at age 50 and bi-annually thereafter.

Accountability and responsibility should be considered in regard to all radiation exposure and the accumulative biological effects.

Reducing ionizing radiation exposure from all other sources whenever possible should be practiced.

Up-to-Date and accurate information must be given to patients for informed consent.

Other non invasive tests should be promoted as part of a breast screening program.

Thermography, Ultrasound and MRI should be further explored, adapted and integrated.

With the pre mammogram age group (under 50) the benefits of screening to detect any findings or changes that justify additional testing or closer monitoring are simple. With any positive DITI findings in this younger age group, any mammogram and ultrasound sensitivity and specificity will be increased with the objective DITI findings targeting a dysfunction and location and providing decision making information in women that would not have otherwise been tested.

It takes years for most cancers to develop to the stage that they can be detected with mammogram or ultrasound (dense enough for location and biopsy) so DITI is ideally placed as a screening tool to identify changes over time in the ‘early’ development stages, before there is more advanced pathology that can be detected with other tests.

The major benefit in this group is in detecting early changes that precede malignant pathology that will become diagnosable at some stage.

Early detection is aimed at prevention and if early changes are detected then we have an opportunity to intervene and change the outcome.

The earlier an abnormality is detected the better the treatment options will be, resulting in a better outcome.

Prevention may include treatment of inflammation, fibrocystic disease, lymph congestion, estrogen dominance and more specific conditions like angiogenesis.

DITI does not provide any of the same findings or information that mammogram or ultrasound provides, it is a different type of test. DITI shows information relating to vascular activity, inflammation, lymphatic activity, hormonal dysfunction and other ‘functional’ abnormalities. 

There are no contraindications for DITI, it is totally non-invasive, no radiation of any type, no contact with the body so it can ‘do no harm’.

Mammogram and ultrasound shows ’structure’, tissue densities can be evaluated, lumps can be measured, calcifications located and opinions given regarding pathology before biopsy ….. none of which DITI can provide.

There is no comparison or competition between mammogram and DITI. They are two different tests providing different results !    

The results are reported by medical doctors who are certified thermologists and experienced in reading thermograms, the reading doctor takes into consideration all history and symptoms and the results of other tests.

In patients of mammographic age (generally over 50), post menopause or when the density of breast tissue has reduced sufficiently to make mammography more affective, DITI not only provides the benefit of early detection of functional change but can also increase the detection rates of other tests by contributing additional information about functional (physiological) abnormality and also the location of suspicious (positive) thermal findings that may be outside the range of other tests due to location, size of breast, implant, or other limiting factors .

DITI as a screening test in all age groups is designed to establish a baseline (the patients normal thermal fingerprint) for ongoing comparative analysis (normally annual) to detect any physiological change that justifies additional testing (which could be physician exam, mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, blood work, hormone testing or a number of other interventions).

The changes that DITI can detect include, inflammatory pathology (inflammatory carcinoma / inflammatory breast disease) Infection, Lymph dysfunction (lymph congestion, lymph node pathology) Vascular changes (development of new and abnormal blood vessels known as ‘angiogenesis’) and also any suspicious activity outside the range or scope of other tests (outside the boarder of the breast, in the sternum or axilla) so again, there is no comparison or competition between different tests.

DITI cannot detect specific pathology like a biopsy, it cannot detect tumors or micro-calcifications. DITI cannot ‘see’ structure.

DITI does have the potential to create anxiety for a patient (as does mammogram) with equivocal results or results that cannot be confirmed or positively diagnosed but both tests can minimize unnecessary anxiety with better informed consent, education and realistic expectation for the test.

The best possible plan is to use every appropriate test adjunctively to get the highest detection rates without generating additional or unnecessary invasive testing.

It would be unfortunate for a patient to forgo a necessary mammogram that was justified, and any decision should be made with consultation between the patient and her doctors based on individual history, symptoms and test results. 

Peter Leando PhD. DSc. DAc..

Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine.

Fellow, American College of Clinical Thermology.

2030 West First St., Suite E

Fort Myers. FL. 33901

Office: 1-239-337-3631

Fax: 1-239-337-3632

All women can benefit from breast thermography screening. However, it is especially appropriate for younger women (30 – 50) whose denser breast tissue makes it more difficult for mammography to be effective. Also for women of all ages who, for many reasons, are unable to undergo routine mammography. This test can provide a ‘clinical marker’ to the doctor or mammographer that a specific area of the breast needs particularly close examination.

It takes years for a tumor to grow thus the earliest possible indication of abnormality is needed to allow for the earliest possible treatment and intervention. Thermography’s role in monitoring breast health is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology.

Breast cancers tend to grow significantly faster in younger women under 50

Source: Cancer 71:3547-3551, 1993

The faster a malignant tumor grows, the more Infrared radiation it generates. For younger women in particular, results from thermography screening can lead to earlier detection and, ultimately, longer life.

Doctors do not yet know how to prevent breast cancer. However you can increase your chances of detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages by understanding the need for, and participating in an early detection program.

Only about 20 percent of biopsied breast lumps are cancerous. And, if cancer is found early, there are choices for treatment. With prompt treatment, the outlook is good. In fact, most women treated for early breast cancer will be free from breast cancer for the rest of their lives.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

The results of this routine study led to the diagnosis of inflammatory carcinoma in the right breast. There were no clinical indications at this stage. (Thermography can show significant indicators several months before any of the clinical signs of inflammatory breast disease, skin discoloration, swelling and pain). Inflammatory breast disease cannot be detected by mammography and is most commonly seen in younger women, the prognosis is always poor. Early detection provides the best hope of survival.

Ductal Carcinoma in Situ

 This 37 year old patient presented for routine thermographic breast screening, she was not in a high risk category and had no family history. No breast exams had been performed previously. The vascular asymmetry in the upper left breast and the local hypothermia at 11 O’clock was particularly suspicious and subsequent clinical investigation indicated a palpable mass at the position indicated. A biopsy was performed and a DCIS of 2 cm was diagnosed. Unfortunately this patient only survived for 12 months after diagnosis.

Male Breast Cancer

One per cent of breast cancers are found in men. The survival rate is much lower than in women as most breast cancers in men are only detected in advanced stages.

This tumor was palpable at the time of imaging, there is a well established vascular feed which has even caused increased blood flow at the left brachial plexus and there is also drainage toward the sternum that extends to below the left breast.

Cold stress testing of the breast was performed on the assumption that thermography would identify angiogenesis and that angiogenesis could be correlated with the development and existence of breast cancer. This can be possible if a number of factors are present but there are too many variables that we now know make this an unreliable procedure. We don’t know at what stage angiogenisis begins but we do know that it does not continue throughout all stages of breast disease. No studies have been done to find out how long it takes for new (angiogenic) blood vessels to establish sympathetic fibers which then let the vessel behave like a normal vessel (contract when cold stressed) but even if we did have a better understanding of this physiology it would still not be a reliable test as many patients would undoubtedly fall outside of the window of detectable angiogenesis.

Considerations, the logic and philosophy of performing a cold stress test:
1. If there are no suspicious thermal patterns to test, (negative thermogram) the test is not justified.
2. If there are suspicious patterns (positive thermogram) then the patterns remain suspicious irrespective of the results of cold stress testing……. A cold stress test does not and should not affect the thermographic opinion and resulting report.

3. A cold stress test might offer results relating to a particular suspicious pattern but if there is no way of correlating this information to a clinically valid or plausible rational to act on this information then the test is not justified in the first place.
4. If a cold stress test is performed and the results are reported, this changes the status of the test and the report, both of which make claim to diagnostics and will carry the associated increase of liability and issues of scope of practice and medical licensure (practicing medicine without a license).
5. The disservice to patients who suffer unnecessary mammography, biopsy, and other tests as a result of positive thermography generated by the attempt to produce diagnostic results from a single study is unacceptable.
7. Reporting vascular change over extended periods of time by comparative analysis of thermal testing may be enhanced by the inclusion of a cold stress test if ordered specifically by a licensed physician who can integrate the results into decision making or a differential diagnosis. Historically, it was the way breast thermography was used with protocols that included cold stress testing (and the diagnostic claims that were made) which generated the criticism that thermographers still suffer from today. The accusations of unreliability and the clinical trial results showing false positives and false negatives were all generated by the protocols that included cold stress testing. Cold stress is a test of sympathetic function which has good utility in many areas of medicine and is the definitive diagnostic test for CRPS / RSD. These tests were used before it was tried in breast screening.

In the mid eighties many people, including myself got excited by the potential offered by breast thermography performed with cold stressing. I was lucky enough to be working in France where the concept originated and I did a lot of cold stress thermography with a liquid nitrogen cooled NEC Sani and a Hues Aircraft Probeye, both of which were excellent cameras at the time. My own observations regarding the low rates of correlation between the results of cold stress tests and case histories and the growing evidence of false positives and false negatives led me to abandon cold stressing of breasts in the early nineties. I learned a more logical and more efficient approach which still relied on the detection of changes in the breast over time but was far more objective and reliable.

We have advanced significantly in our understanding of physiology and how thermography can be effectively used. No technology stands still, we expect science to advance, medical knowledge to improve and evolve and we have to be prepared to learn from experience….. both our own and others. I have no doubt that there will be ongoing advances in thermographic imaging and they may even include new forms of stress testing but the best way to move forward is to learn from experience and then look ahead rather than back.

First published August 2003 ACCT Thermology Times.

As concern continues to mount about the spread of the swine flu globally, airport authorities are responding by using digital thermal imaging technology to scan passengers. Thermal imaging can detect elevated body temperature, one of the signs of the virus N1H1 (swine flu).

“Medical thermal imaging at airports and any other locations where the public congregate targets individuals who are already symptomatic and likely to be infectious,” says Peter Leando, Ph.D., Managing Director of Meditherm. Meditherm’s thermal imaging system is one of the only digital thermal imaging scanners designed specifically for the human body giving the airport authorities the accuracy that they are looking for to identify infected passengers travelling from country to country. The company’s  medical  thermal imaging systems are in use at airports in Aruba, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

The highest risk for the geographic spread of infection is through travel and “seeding”.  Thermal imaging of travelers has several benefits:

• Sensitive screening to detect abnormal physiology (hot or cold) will have a  high percentage of accuracy in detecting abnormal temperatures, which then leads to further testing of an individual in order to confirm symptoms or rule out clinical suspicion.  This group will generally already be symptomatic and are best detected with a mass screening approach including rapid movement through airports.

• Sensitive but targeted screening can detect individuals who may not exhibit symptoms but will show abnormalities days before symptoms evolve. This will include high risk groups of individuals, traveling from infected areas.

• Establishing routine fever screening during outbreaks will deter individuals from traveling if they know or suspect that they have any symptoms whatsoever. This group has the greatest potential to limit the spread by complying with the World Health Organization and other advisory body recommendations not to travel if you have been exposed to anyone infected or have any symptoms yourself.     

While fever screening stations will not prevent the spread completely, they are an integral part of the effort to limit the outbreak and reduce the number of deaths, says Dr. Leando.  

In recent days, more orders have been placed for Meditherm’s medical thermal imaging system from customers wanting to screen not only in airports but in large corporations, manufacturing plants and even public entertainment fascilities in the UK, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, St Martin, USA, Puerto Rico and Argentina, with enquiries also coming from several other countries, including Mexico.

About Meditherm

Based in Fort Myers, Florida, privately-owned Meditherm Inc. manufactures and distributes the Med 5220 and Med 520 line of digital thermal imaging systems, also known as Fever Screen Stations. Meditherm is currently the only medical device manufacturer building IR equipment exclusively for medical and clinical use and more than 2,000 Meditherm scanners are currently in use worldwide for a wide range of medical uses including fever screening, sports medicine, breast screening, pain clinics, and vascular studies which include stroke risk evaluation and deep vein thrombosis. www.meditherm.com

Meditherm’s Peter Leando is available for interviews to discuss thermal imaging.

Peter Leando

Managing Director, Meditherm Inc

1-239-334-8833

peter@meditherm.com