Early Cancer Detection with Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging
You’ve probably seen video recorded at night showing police chasing a suspect, or soldiers seeking the enemy, or maybe even wildlife agents tracking poachers. In many of these situations what you saw was video from thermal, or “infrared” imagers. Even with absolutely no visible light, these devices allow us to see things merely by the energy they emit or reflect. They are completely passive, meaning they don’t use any projected radiation such as x-rays or ultrasound. Wouldn’t it be great if these wonders could be used in medicine? They can and they are!
While the military were the first to pursue applications for infrared technology, the medical community was not far behind. In fact, did you know that infrared technology has been approved for breast cancer screening by the FDA since 1985? Let me tell you a little about this fascinating technology and why it’s so valuable for breast cancer screening.
Believe it or not, even unwanted structures such as tumors, depend upon the circulatory system. They cannot grow without the same supplies as the rest of our cells. They also need to have their “waste” removed. In order to grow, they send a message to the circulatory system that requests “utility service.”
Blood flowing through our circulatory system causes adjacent tissue to warm. This temperature elevation can actually be “seen” at the surface of the skin through the use of infrared imaging. A tumor requests “service” from the “utility company” when it is still very, very small. Any extra blood flow will generate a “hot spot.”
The human body can constrict blood vessels to prevent heat loss. Surely you’ve felt your hands and feet get cold at one time or another. If you are exposed to a cool environment, your autonomic nervous system activates blood vessel constriction to prevent damage to vital organs. Likewise, if exposed to a warmer environment these vessels are dilated to allow heat to dissipate. New blood vessels, however, do not have the muscle fibers present to provide the constriction.
The protocol employed at Seasons Wellness has been tried and proven over decades. It involves taking images before and after a cold-water “challenge.” This allows the interpreting physician to witness blood vessel response. If the vessels in an area of interest do not respond to the challenge, they may be supporting a new growth, or tumor.
The majority of all breast biopsies reveal a benign condition and biopsies aren’t widely reported as being fun. Why go through such a procedure when you can wait and watch? Many tumors are treated quite effectively by our own body’s defense mechanisms. If you have indications supporting the presence of a tumor, infrared thermography will allow you to monitor the area without any invasion or radiation. A needle biopsy actually punctures the tumor – do you really want a hole to expose your entire body to the cells from within a tumor?
A traditional mammogram exerts around 120 pounds of pressure on the breast. Tumors can burst with as little as 40 pounds of force. The force employed in Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is exactly 0 pounds. Nothing and no one touches your breast during an infrared imaging session. And the only pain you will feel is the “pain” of placing your hands in cold water for 60 seconds.
Most doctors, and all major breast health organizations, advise against mammograms before age 40. Why? The benefit of early detection does not outweigh the risk of radiation exposure. Breast cancer is a terrible disease, and early detection is vital to a healthy prognosis. How can we screen early without the radiation exposure? DITI.
So who is DITI really for? Everyone, but particularly those with a family history of breast cancer, under age 50, with implants, and with fibrocystic breasts. Will you escape mammograms forever? Maybe not. They will always have a role in medicine. But they should complement DITI. If DITI indicates a possible tumor, and it grows with time, mammograms and biopsies may be necessary tests prior to treatment. But DITI can allow you to track your breast health actively without putting yourself at risk. For upcoming Thermography dates or to schedule an appointment, contact Seasons Wellness at (865)675-9355.
This guest post was provided by Raymond Crews. Raymond is a partner at Infrared Services LLC. As an instructor pilot in the Air Force Reserve, he taught and utilized infrared technology to pinpoint targets with minimum collateral damage. On recognizing the potential for other applications, he and his business partners realized a largely unmet opportunity in the field of medicine. His company provides equipment and trained technicians to capture images and a licensed doctor with decades of experience in the field reviews every report. It is his desire to provide a service that helps detect and monitor potential problems as early as possible without any possibility of adding to the danger some conditions present.
Thermography Breast Screenings, Sept. 13th!
Join us at Seasons of Farragut for a
Thermography Event
Thursday, September 13th
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Appointments are limited. Call (865) 675-9355 to schedule yours.
Early detection saves lives. This 15-minute non-invasive test is a valuable procedure and designed to improve detection of breast disease. There is no contact with the body of any kind, no radiation, and the procedure is painless. It uses Thermography, a process of infrared technology to spot abnormalities in your breasts by measuring temperature variations.
This state-of-the-art DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging)system is able to read functional changes in the breast at the critical point when a tumor begins to receive its own blood supply – before malignant cells have a chance to spread.
According to the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT), researchers have found that “an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer and an abnormal thermogram is ten times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history. While X-rays, ultrasound, and mammography show us the structure of the body, they will miss such things as active inflammation and increased blood supply as found in many illnesses. Thermogram Breast Screening has been shown to be effective in finding early signs of breast cancer up to eight years before mammogram can.”
Thermography Quick Facts:
- Thermograms are for men and women.
- Quick and painless.
- No exposure to radiation.
- A Thermogram can be performed without an order from a physician.
- You are welcome to bring a companion to be present at the examination.
- There are a limited number of appointments for this event, so make your appointment today.
- The fee for the Thermogram is $149. Additional thermograms are available for an additional cost.
- Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted (Insurance will not be filed for this procedure).
Patient Preparation before having a Thermogram:
- Do not have physical therapy or electromyography on the same day thermography is performed.
- Do not smoke for 2 hours before the test.
- Do not use lotions or liniments on the day of the test.
- Stay out of strong sunlight on the day of the test.
- Do not use deodorant on the day of the test.
- No caffeine for 2 hours prior to the test.
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication or beta-blockers may affect the test results. Discuss stopping these medications with your doctor prior to doing so.
For more information or to schedule your appointment, contact our office: (865) 675-9355.
Thermography Event, June 21st!
Join us at Seasons of Farragut for a
Thermography Event
Thursday, June 21st
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Appointments are limited. Call (865) 675-9355 to schedule yours.
Early detection saves lives. This 15-minute non-invasive test is a valuable procedure and designed to improve detection of breast disease. There is no contact with the body of any kind, no radiation, and the procedure is painless. It uses Thermography, a process of infrared technology to spot abnormalities in your breasts by measuring temperature variations.
This state-of-the-art DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging)system is able to read functional changes in the breast at the critical point when a tumor begins to receive its own blood supply – before malignant cells have a chance to spread.
According to the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT), researchers have found that “an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer and an abnormal thermogram is ten times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history. While X-rays, ultrasound, and mammography show us the structure of the body, they will miss such things as active inflammation and increased blood supply as found in many illnesses. Thermogram Breast Screening has been shown to be effective in finding early signs of breast cancer up to eight years before mammogram can.”
Thermography Quick Facts:
- Thermograms are for men and women.
- Quick and painless.
- No exposure to radiation.
- A Thermogram can be performed without an order from a physician.
- You are welcome to bring a companion to be present at the examination.
- There are a limited number of appointments for this event, so make your appointment today.
- The fee for the Thermogram is $149. Additional thermograms are available for an additional cost.
- Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted (Insurance will not be filed for this procedure).
Patient Preparation before having a Thermogram:
- Do not have physical therapy or electromyography on the same day thermography is performed.
- Do not smoke for 2 hours before the test.
- Do not use lotions or liniments on the day of the test.
- Stay out of strong sunlight on the day of the test.
- Do not use deodorant on the day of the test.
- No caffeine for 2 hours prior to the test.
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication or beta-blockers may affect the test results. Discuss stopping these medications with your doctor prior to doing so.
For more information or to schedule your appointment, contact our office: (865) 675-9355.
Thermography Event Set for June 7th!
Join us at Seasons of Farragut for a
Thermography Event
Thursday, June 7th
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Appointments are limited. Call (865) 675-9355 to schedule yours.
Early detection saves lives. This 15-minute non-invasive test is a valuable procedure and designed to improve detection of breast disease. There is no contact with the body of any kind, no radiation, and the procedure is painless. It uses Thermography, a process of infrared technology to spot abnormalities in your breasts by measuring temperature variations.
This state-of-the-art DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging)system is able to read functional changes in the breast at the critical point when a tumor begins to receive its own blood supply – before malignant cells have a chance to spread.
According to the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT), researchers have found that “an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer and an abnormal thermogram is ten times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history. While X-rays, ultrasound, and mammography show us the structure of the body, they will miss such things as active inflammation and increased blood supply as found in many illnesses. Thermogram Breast Screening has been shown to be effective in finding early signs of breast cancer up to eight years before mammogram can.”
Thermography Quick Facts:
- Thermograms are for men and women.
- Quick and painless.
- No exposure to radiation.
- A Thermogram can be performed without an order from a physician.
- You are welcome to bring a companion to be present at the examination.
- There are a limited number of appointments for this event, so make your appointment today.
- The fee for the Thermogram is $149. Additional thermograms are available for an additional cost.
- Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted (Insurance will not be filed for this procedure).
Patient Preparation before having a Thermogram:
- Do not have physical therapy or electromyography on the same day thermography is performed.
- Do not smoke for 2 hours before the test.
- Do not use lotions or liniments on the day of the test.
- Stay out of strong sunlight on the day of the test.
- Do not use deodorant on the day of the test.
- No caffeine for 2 hours prior to the test.
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication or beta-blockers may affect the test results. Discuss stopping these medications with your doctor prior to doing so.
For more information or to schedule your appointment, contact our office: (865) 675-9355.
