Thermography

Welcome to Thermal Wellness “Your Creative Solution to early detection”. Before you arrive for your thermo graphic examination, certain protocols must be followed in order to ensure that your images reflect accurate information. Please read the following instructions and adhere to them as closely as possible.

• No prolonged sun exposure (especially sunburn) to the body areas being imaged 5 days prior to the exam.
  
  
• No use of deodorants, lotions, creams, powders, or makeup (no facial makeup for full body or upper body scans) the day of the exam.
  
  
• No shaving of the underarms the day of the exam.
  
  
• No treatment (chiropractic, acupuncture, TENS, physical therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, hot or cold pack use) or physical stimulation of the areas to be imaged for 24 hours before the exam.
  
  
• No exercise 4 hours prior to the exam.
  
  
• If bathing, it must be no closer than 1 hour before the exam.
  
  
• If you are using pain medications, please avoid taking them for 4 hours prior to the examination. You must consult with the prescribing physician for his or her consent prior to any change in medication use such as this.
  
  
• If you are scheduled for a breast thermo gram, the same protocols above applies along with no physical stimulation of the breasts for 24 hours before the exam, and if you are nursing please try to nurse as far from 1 hour prior to the exam as possible.

Please note: During the examination you will be disrobed from the waist up for breast exams during part of the examination for both imaging and to allow for the surface temperature of the body to achieve thermal equilibrium. In the event that you would feel uncomfortable being alone in the room with only the technician, please feel free to bring a friend with you.

We have enclosed a health history form(s) for you to fill out before arriving for your examination. A map to our center, along with an appointment card, has been included for your convenience. If you have copies of any other test results (i.e. mammograms, blood tests) please bring them with you. If you have any further questions, please contact our office.

Thank you for choosing our center and we look forward to meeting you.

Bringing Breast Cancer Detection
Out of the Dark Ages

Breast Thermography is a diagnostic imaging procedure used for early detection of breast cancer.

The procedure is based on the principle that chemical and blood vessel activity in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area developing breast cancer is higher than in a normal breast. Since pre-cancerous masses are highly metabolic tissues, they need an abundant supply of nutrients to maintain their growth. In order to do this, they increase circulation to their cells by sending out chemicals to keep existing blood vessels open, recruit dormant vessels, and create new ones (neoangiogenesis). This procedure results in an increase in regional surface temperatures of the breast.

State-of-the-art breast thermography uses and ultra-sensitive infrared medical camera combined with a sophisticated computer program. This system produces high-resolution diagnostic images of these temperature and vascular patterns of the breast. Our Certified Thermologist then analyzes these images.

The procedure is both comfortable and safe using no radiation or compression. By carefully examining changes in the temperature and blood vessels of the breasts, signs of possible cancer or pre-cancerous cell growth may be detected 5-10 years prior to being discovered by using any other procedure. Temperature variations 'and vascular changes may be amount the earliest signs of breast cancer and/or a pre-cancerous state of the breast.

Breast thermography's ability to detect a pre-cancerous state of the breast, or signs of cancer at an extremely early stage, lies in its unique capability of monitoring the temperature variations and blood vessel alterations produced by the earliest changes in tissue physiology (function).

Breast thermography has been researched for over 30 years, and over 800 peer reviewed breast thermography studies exist in the index-medicos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Breast Thermography Safe?

How is Breast Thermography different from a Mammogram?

I have no family history and am not at high risk for breast cancer should I have a thermogram?

I have a suspicious mammogram or felt a lump on my breast. Should I get a thermogram?

I have cancer and I am scheduled for surgery. What benefits is thermography this late in the game?

Does my insurance cover the thermogram?

Is Breast Thermography Safe?
Breast thermography is very safe. There is no exposure to radiation or any compression of the breast tissue.

How is Breast Thermography different from a Mammogram?
Both tests are looking for completely different signs of breast cancer. Thermography looks for changes that occur as a growing cancer alters the blood supply of the breast and changes the physiology and chemical environment of the tissue of the breast. Mammograms look for changes to the density of the breast that indicates the presence of a tumor. Mammography identifies the physical. The medical literature views both procedures as complimentary to each other.

I have no family history and am not at high risk for breast cancer should I have a thermogram?
Although family history is considered to be a risk factor, most women who develop breast cancer have no history. A positive thermogram is considered the highest risk marker for the future development of cancer. It is 8 times more significant than a family history. Thermography can show if a man or woman may actually be at risk despite the lack of a family history of cancer.

I have a suspicious mammogram or felt a lump on my breast. Should I get a thermogram?
Absolutely the answer would be yes. The information provided from the thermogram can clarity the other findings ultimately helping your doctor make better decisions as the best way to manage the situation.

I have cancer and I am scheduled for surgery. What benefits is thermography this late in the game?
Thermography performed before and after a surgery can help evaluate the success of the procedure. Additionally, once a woman develops breast cancer, she is a higher risk to develop it again. It is imperative to protect the healthy breast.

Does my insurance cover the thermogram?
It depends on your insurance company.

The following are risks for breast cancers:

• Women of all ages
• Prolonged use of oral contraceptives
• Synthetic hormone replacement
• Family history of breast cancer
• Obesity, sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Consumption of refined sugars, artificial sugars, caffeine, and high fat diets

How can lower my risk?

• Have a yearly thermogram
• Discuss options with your doctor about alternatives to birth control pills and synthetic HRT
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise
• Limit alcohol consumption and caffeine, quit smoking, limit bad fats in your diet and refined sugars
• Consume Omega-3 fatty acids
• Consult with your doctor about natural supplements to reduce your risk

Medical research has shown thermography to be helpful in the following conditions:

• Breast cancer
• Skin cancer
• Nervous system disorders
• Metabolic disorders
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Headaches, neck and back problems
• TMJ conditions
• Pain syndromes
• Arthritis
• Vascular disorders
• Soft tissue injuries among others
  
  

In summary there is a way to determine right now how healthy the breast tissue actually is. It is my hope that Doctors of all disciplines will start referring their patients to our office for thermography assessment. (Several Options are available for the Doctor)

You owe it to your family to know! Don't wait and wonder call
Dr. Michael Martin, D.C., N.M.D. for an appointment? (816) 942-4700

Your Partner in Early Detection of Breast Cancer
Thermography Medical Infrared Imaging

THERMOGRAPHY

• Current methods used to detect breast cancer depend primarily on self exams and mammography. While this approach has become the mainstay to detect breast cancer, the mortality from this disease has been unchanged for 40 years.
• Early detection of breast cancer is more viable, with the increased awareness and use of thermogra­phy now in the frontline.
• Women can now be proactive in saving their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

BREAST CANCER RISKS

• Women of all ages
• Prolonged use of oral contra­ceptives, contraceptive patches and shots
• Synthetic Hormone Replace­ment Therapy (HRT)
• Family history of breast cancer
• Obesity, sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Consumption of refined sugar, artificial sugars, caffeine and high fat diets

LOWER YOUR RISK

• Have a yearly thermogram
• Discuss options with your doctor about alterna­tives to birth control pills and synthetic HRT
• Maintain a healthy weight and exercise
• Limit soy, caffeine, bad fats and refined sugars in your diet
• Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, protein and fiber
• Consume Omega 3 fatty acids and flax seed oil

THERMOGRAM TEST:

• The procedure is simple and non-invasive. The woman stands in front of the camera and she will be disrobed from the waist up.
• There will be an acclimation period of 15 minutes
• A series of digital infrared pictures are taken of the breast at room temperature.
• The digital images are then forwarded to a licensed Thermologist for evaluation. Changes in temperature of the breast tissue are evaluated and graded from TH1 to TH5. The higher the number, the greater your risk for cancer.
• The FDA approved thermography for use in the diagnosis of breast pathology in 1982.
• It is so important for patients to choose an imaging center with qualified personnel and equipment.

THE DAY OF YOUR TEST

• Do not exercise
• Avoid sun exposure for 5 days
• Do not use perfumes, skin creams, deodorants, powders or shave
• Do not drink alcohol
• Avoid treatments such as: chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, heat or cold packs

THERMOGRAM RESULTS:

• TH 1 - Normal non-vascular
• TH 2 - Normal uniform vascular
• TH 3 – Equivocal
• TH 4 – Abnormal
• TH 5 - Severely abnormal
• Depending on the results of your exam, further evaluation and tests may be ordered and/or future infrared scans performed at recom­mended intervals to monitor the health of the breasts.

Remember Early Detection Holds the Key to Survival

Medical Infrared Imaging

Medical Infrared Imaging is also known as Thermography. Breast Thermography is the choice for any woman who desires a safe, painless and radiation-free procedure to screen for breast cancer

• Thermography can see abnormalities in the breast tissue 5-10 years before any other method including mam­mography. ultrasound or MRI
  
  
• The accuracy of a thermogram (unlike a mammogram) will not be affected by fibrocystic breasts
  
  
• Thermography screens breast im­plants without compression or risk of injuring the implant
  
• Important for women with mastec­tomies to monitor their breast health and any post surgical changes
  
  
• Thermography has the ability to find cancer cells at their earliest and most treatable stages
  
  
• Thermography is an adjunctive tool to be used with your self exams, mammography and ultrasound.
  
  
• Effective for breasts of all sizes
  
  
• Thermography looks at the metabo­lism (heat emission) of the breast. Normal images will be cool and indi­cate a minimal risk of cancer. Abnor­mal images will show more heat which means a higher possibility that cancer is present. Thermography identifies the changes which occur as a growing cancer alters the blood supply to the breast tissue. This is why thermography is a more sensi­tive medical procedure for early de­tection of breast cancer. It has a 95% sensitivity rate.
  
  
• It has been determined that one out of eight women will get breast can­cer. We must use every means possible to detect breast cancer.
  
  
• SAVE YOUR LIFE THROUGH EARLY DETECTION!

Beating Breast Cancer
William Hobbins, MD, FACS, DABCT, FIACT
William Amalu, DC, DIACT, FIACT

Think you're too young to be screened? Did you know that 20% of all breast cancers occur in women under 40? A unique technology, available to women of all ages, brings added hope to the battle against breast cancer.
This year, over 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US and 1.2 million worldwide (Source: American Cancer Society and WHO). As shocking as these numbers are" even worse is the number of cancers that won't be detected until it's too late. The consensus among experts in this field is that early detection holds the key to survival. Although this is true, detection is not occurring early enough. Even though women are advised to begin having mammograms at 40, what they don't know is that most cancers have been growing for 10 years before they are detected, and that 20% of all cancers can't be seen by a mammogram. It is because of these factors, and others, that the number of women who die from this disease has gone relatively unchanged in the past 40 years.

If there were a method of very early detection, a procedure that would act as an early warning system, women would have the fighting chance they need to win this battle. An early warning system would be able to turn these grave statistics around, as tumors would be detected before they were able to invade the rest of the body. Women now have access to a unique technology that can give them this early warning; the procedure is Breast Thermography (Digital Infrared Imaging).

As an imaging technology, breast thermography is based on a cancerous process known as angiogenesis (blood vessel formation). When a cancer is forming, it needs an increased blood supply to feed it. This blood supply causes an abnormal heat pattern in the breast. Thermography can detect this abnormal heat pattern by scanning the breasts with a specialized infrared camera and analyzing the information using sophisticated computer programs under the guidance of a board certified clinical thermographer. These abnormal heat patterns are among the earliest known signs of a forming cancer.

An unprecedented level of early detection can be realized when thermography is added to a woman's regular breast health care. It has been found that an abnormal thermogram is the single most important sign of high risk for developing breast cancer, 8 times more significant than a first order family history of the disease. Studies show that this technology has the ability to warn a woman that a cancer may be forming up to 10 years before any other test can detect it. This gives breast thermography not only the ability to detect cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage, but to also warn a woman about her own unique level of future risk.

Women who undergo the test find it to be fairly uneventful, since the procedure uses no radiation or contact with the skin. Women with breast implants, reductions, and women who are pregnant or nursing can be imaged without any harm or reduction in the accuracy of the test. Normal images, like the one seen in the upper left, show evenly cool inactive breasts (cold areas are dark colors). Abnormal images, as seen on the lower right, show highly active blood vessels giving off heat in one breast. Since the procedure does not pose any harm to the patient, women who are at higher risk can be monitored closely without adverse effects on their health.

Breast thermography plays more than one part in women's breast health care. The procedure can also playa significant role in prevention. Research indicates that lifetime exposure of the breasts to the hormone estrogen is the single most significant risk factor in the development of breast cancer. In women who have increased estrogen activity in their breasts, thermography has the ability to warn them of this condition. Once this is identified, a woman can take a significant pro-active role in prevention. With the help of her doctor she can decrease the effects of estrogen on her breasts, thus greatly reducing her overall breast cancer risk.

With the incidence of breast cancer steadily rising in women under 40, an effort to provide some form accurate screening test is needed in this age group. Breast cancers in younger women are commonly more aggressive resulting in lower survival rates. Current screening procedures have proven to be inaccurate in women in this age group due to breast tissue density and other factors. These issues, however, do not affect thermography. The technology offers women under 40 an accurate and practical breast screening procedure. Baseline thermographic screening is recommended at age 20.

Breast thermography is a high-tech non-invasive screening procedure designed to be used by women of all ages. Its ability to play a significant role in prevention is an impressive benefit. Unfortunately, at this time there are too few qualified clinical thermography centers worldwide. Due to the increasing demand for breast thermography, recognized educational organizations, such as the International Academy of Clinical Thermology, are actively seeking personnel for training as certified technicians. It is their goal to provide women with greater access to this invaluable technology.

Currently, no single screening procedure can detect 100% of a/l cancers. As a FDA approved procedure, thermography is designed to be used with mammography and not as a replacement. Studies show that when thermography is added to a woman's regular breast health check ups (physical examination + mammography + thermography), 95% of a/l early stage cancers will be detected. Breast thermography has the unique ability to warn most women far enough in advance to give then a fighting chance. Combined use of this technology will make the greatest changes in the number of women who die from this disease. Breast thermography gives women of all ages hope and a true early detection edge in the battle against breast cancer.