Thermography
What is thermography?
Thermography is a radiation-free, state-of-the-art screening procedure that uses an infrared camera to record thermal patterns and temperature variations on the surface of the body, producing real-time digital images (thermograms) that reveal sites of physiologic dysfunction and/or abnormal tissue growth, as well as nerve and vascular changes that are invisible to x-ray and MRI. It measures your body’s internal heat patterns and shows patterns of infection and rapid cellular growth, as seen in cancer. A thermogram can be taken of the whole body or a region of interest, such as the breasts, abdomen, or head.
What is thermography used for?
Thermography is used to:
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Visualize the physiological component of pain, injury, illness, and disease.
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Aid in early detection of cancer.
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Provide early warning of potential health issues and help in accurate diagnosis and treatment.
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Support the existence of a suspected condition.
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Help make informed decisions regarding the need for further treatment.
Probably the most applied area of medical thermography is breast cancer, benign tumours, mastitis, and fibrocystic breast disease. The use of thermography as a screening tool in the detection of breast cancer has been approved for screening purposes and is clearly a powerful tool in the war on breast cancer.
Early detection is the key
Breast tumors can take up to 10 years to develop. During this time, traditional testing such as mammography, ultrasound, and MRI may not detect the development as early as thermography. The earlier a tumor is found, the sooner treatment can begin and the more successful the outcome is likely to be. An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator of breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease.
Examples of thermography findings
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Breast cancer
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Carotid artery
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Carpal tunnel
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Cervical cancer
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Cyst
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Esophageal cancer
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Fibromyalgia
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Fracture
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Frozen shoulder
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Gout
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Heel spur
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Hyperthermia over the hepatic flexure of the colon.
Diverticulitis was diagnosed. -
Inflammation
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Kidney infection
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Local dental infection
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Lumbar disc bulge
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Lung cancer
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Mastitis
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Muscular inflammation
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Scoliosis
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Small metastatic tumors
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Sprained ankle
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TMJ
Thermography pricing
Please see the Pricing page for informathion on thermography services and pricing.
As a tumor grows, it develops a bigger (and hotter) blood supply. This vascularity is picked up as a heat signal and forms an image like the ones shown to the right. In these images, the heat surrounding the nipple is in excess of normal levels and a function of the increased growth of blood vessels that are feeding an underlying tumor.
Full-body thermal imaging for men and women is used as an affordable health screening for early detection and differential analysis of abnormal vascular activity, inflammation, and pain throughout the body. A baseline is established for comparisons and future scans. which are recommended annually. This supports monitoring changes and helping to prevent future health issues.
Benefits of thermography
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Thermography is cost-effective, risk-free, pain-free, and FDA-approved.
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No referral is required.
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When thermography is added to a woman's regular breast health checkups, a 61% increased survival rate is realized.
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When used as part of a multi-modal approach (clinical examination, mammography, and thermography), 95% of early stage cancers will be detected.
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The most promising aspect of thermography is its ability to spot anomalies years before mammography.
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It is completely non-ionizing, safe, and can be repeated as often as required without exposing the patient to risk.
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Thermal Imaging for breast cancer is radiation-free and involves no compression or contact so there is no risk of damage to implants or underlying breast tissue.
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Breast cancer can take up to 10 years to develop. Thermography has been shown to identify cancer before it becomes a visible tumor on other standard tests. This is because thermography looks for the physiology feeding the tumor, while mammography looks for the tumor after it has formed a density.
Video
Dr. Michael Olson talks about the benefits of thermography.
