* age 20 – baseline thermogram
* ages 20 to 30 – every three years
* ages 30 and over – every year
Studies reveal that 15% of all breast cancers occur in women between the ages of 20 to 44 (1). Mammography is difficult to interpret in the age group due to the density of the breast. Women who are on hormone replacement therapy, nursing, or have fibrocystic, large, or enhanced breasts also cause reading difficulties (2,3). While there is no one screening test that is 100% accurate (1,3,4), current research discovers a 61% increase in survival rate when thermography is added to a woman’s regular breast check-ups (5). Thermography, thus, introduces an accurate screening test for younger women, and may be the first signal of a potential problem in the breast for women of all ages (2,3,4).
Sources:
1. ACS Breast Cancer Guidelines and Statistics. 2005-2006.
2. Belliveau N., M.D. et al. “Infrared Imaging of the Breast: Initial Reappraisal Using High-Resolution Digital Technology in 100 Successive Cases of Stage I and Stage II Breast Cancers.” Breast Journal 4.4 (1998).
3. Gamigami P., M.D. Atlas of Mammography; New Early Signs of Breast Cancer. Blackwell Science, 1996.
4. Gautherie M., Ph.D. “Thermobiological Assessment of Benign and Malignant Diseases.” Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol 147.8 (1983); 861-869.
5. Nyirjesy, I. M.D. et al. “Clinical Evaluation Mammography and Thermography in the Diagnosis of Breast Carcinomas.” Thermology 1 (1986): 170-173.
