Worldwide, 1.7 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. According to the National Cancer Registry (2017), 1 in 26 women in South Africa are at risk of developing breast cancer; it accounts for 16% of all cancer deaths in the country1.
A large number of women who consult with their doctor for breast cancer only do so when the disease is already at an advanced stage. They may not have been aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease, or they did not realise that they were at risk of developing it. Obstacles within the healthcare system, inadequate knowledge and attitude of providers toward breast health and socio-cultural hurdles also stand in the way of women being routinely screened for breast cancer2.
Successful treatment of breast cancer is possible if it is detected early with regular thermography or mammograms. Women must continue to be educated about breast health and how to screen for lumps in their breasts through self-examination. If they fall into the high-risk group, regular screening ensures the disease is detected and treated early, increasing the chances of a positive outcome.
What Is Breast Cancer Screening
Do you know your risk of developing breast cancer? Most of us know there is a genetic link – if your mom had it, you have a greater chance of developing it too. But genes are not the only cause of breast cancer. There are risk factors that you can control such as being inactive, being overweight, using hormone therapy, and drinking alcohol. And other aspects that you cannot control include ageing, your reproductive history, having dense breast tissue, and exposure to radiation3.
With this wide range of possible risks associated with breast cancer, becoming familiar with your breasts and how they normally look, and feel is the first step in breast cancer screening. Women are encouraged to learn how to examine their breasts so if there is a lump that wasn’t there before, they can seek advice from their doctor and get treatment early if it is found to be cancer.
Screening for breast cancer is recommended for all healthy women to detect abnormalities in the breast tissue before they become clinically significant. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) recommends yearly mammograms for women between the ages of 40–54 years, and every second year for women 55 years and older4.
The benefits of early breast cancer detection include:
- Prevention of adverse outcomes
- Improved survival
- Reduced need for more intensive treatments
Mammograms For the Detection of Breast Cancer
Even though mammography is controversial, it is the most commonly used screening tool for breast cancer. The reason mammography is a contentious issue is that while it can be lifesaving, it is not risk-free. Some of the negative consequencesinclude5:
- High cost
- Anxiety
- Inconvenience
- False-positive or false-negative results
- Overdiagnosis
- Overtreatment
- Exposure to radiation
Breast cancer screening makes sense, but if the procedure most commonly used to identify possible tumours can increase your risk of developing the disease it is screening for, then shouldn’t we be looking for an alternative?
Why Choose Thermography as A Breast Cancer Screening Tool?
When you turn forty, your doctor is going to start talking to you about mammograms. She might teach you some breast self-examination techniques too. But you are unlikely to be given an alternative, radiation-free option for visual screening for breast cancer. The good news is: There is another way to see what is going on under your skin.
Everything in your body radiates heat, including blood vessels, organs, fibrous masses and metabolically active cancerous tumours. Some of the heat is transferred to the skin where it creates a stable thermal pattern that correlates to what is found beneath the surface. These thermal patterns can be digitally recorded by high-precision, heat-sensitive, infrared cameras to produce an image called a thermogram6.
When applied to the breast, thermography is a medical science that evaluates the thermal patterns on the skin produced by the breast tissue. An image of the breast is created from the tissue directly under the skin to the much deeper tissue near the chest wall. What you get is not just an anatomical picture, but an indication of physiological function within the breast.
A thermographer, like a radiographer, is trained to use the technology to obtain accurate images of the breasts. Then, someone who is properly trained and qualified in reading thermograms, a thermologist (similar to a radiologist), will analyse and interpret the images and determine whether or not there are any signs present that may be related to the risk of breast cancer.
A cancerous tumour emits a relatively high heat because it has a higher metabolic rate than the surrounding tissue. As a result, it requires more blood flow to the area. The higher temperature of the tumour spreads to the surrounding breast tissue and causes a temperature spike on the skin, which can be detected using infrared imaging7.
The Benefits of Thermography
Breast thermography is the perfect tool for regular breast cancer screening. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. in 1982 for breast cancer risk assessment. It is a three-step process: First, you are prepared for the procedure according to the examination protocol, and then a precision infrared camera is used to measure and record the thermal patterns on the breasts. Finally, using computer software, the recorded images are interpreted to assess the risk for the development of breast cancer.
The benefits of thermography for breast cancer screening include8:
- Painless
- Non-invasive
- Radiation-free
- Accurate
- Early detection of cancer
Thermography is not a diagnostic tool. It is a safe screening procedure that can be used regularly to identify a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. If an abnormality is detected, further investigation via ultrasound, mammogram and/or biopsy will be recommended.
The purpose of screening for breast cancer is to catch the disease early before it becomes clinically significant and starts having an impact on your health. Thermography has been shown to accurately detect the earliest signs of cancerous growth in the breasts. It allows you to take action sooner and get treatment for the cancer while it is still small.
If you avoid all methods of breast cancer screening, whether you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer or not, you become one of the thousands of women who present to their doctor with advanced stages of the disease. Better outcomes are achieved when tumours are treated in their early stage of growth. The larger the growth, the more difficult it is to treat, and the more invasive treatment is.
Early Detection of Breast Cancer Saves Lives
1 in 26 might seem like a small chance of developing breast cancer, but death from cancer is second only to heart disease in women. Screening for breast cancer is important for all women, but if your risk profile places you in the high-risk category for developing the disease, it is something you owe to yourself to do regularly.
Thermography takes away any excuses you may have had to avoid a breast-health check-up. It is safe, accurate, cost-effective and does not involve the use of radiation. Each test comes with a comprehensive findings report indicating your risk of developing breast cancer. Contact me, shannon@ibalance.co.za, if you would like to find out more about thermography and how it can benefit you or visit www.ibalance.co.za
References
- Early Detection of Breast Cancer is Vital | CANSA – The Cancer Association of South Africa [Internet]. | CANSA – The Cancer Association of South Africa. [cited 2022 Aug 8]. Available from: https://cansa.org.za/early-detection-of-breast-cancer-is-vital/
- Moodley J, Cairncross L, Naiker T, Momberg M. Understanding pathways to breast cancer diagnosis among women in the Western Cape Province, South Africa: a qualitative study. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2016 Jan [cited 2022 Aug 8];(1):e009905. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009905
- What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer? | CDC [Internet]. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022 [cited 2022 Aug 8]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
- Lipschitz S. Screening mammography with special reference to guidelines in South Africa. South African Journal of Radiology [Internet]. 2018 Oct 31 [cited 2022 Aug 8];(2). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajr.v22i2.1370
- Gøtzsche PC. Mammography screening is harmful and should be abandoned. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine [Internet]. 2015 Sep [cited 2022 Aug 8];(9):341–5. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0141076815602452
- Jay C© 2006-2016 EB. STI Basics [Internet]. Spatial Thermal Imaging – Index. [cited 2022 Aug 9]. Available from: http://www.thermeval.com/sti_basics.html
- Mashekova A, Zhao Y, Ng EYK, Zarikas V, Fok SC, Mukhmetov O. Early detection of the breast cancer using infrared technology – A comprehensive review. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress [Internet]. 2022 Jan [cited 2022 Aug 9];101142. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2021.101142
- Kennedy DA, Lee T, Seely D. A Comparative Review of Thermography as a Breast Cancer Screening Technique. Integrative Cancer Therapies [Internet]. 2009 Feb 17 [cited 2022 Aug 9];(1):9–16. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534735408326171
