By Javier Manrique NMD
Infrared Mammography is a unique breast imaging tool used in conjunction with clinical breast exam and traditional imaging techniques for detecting breast cancer. It is used in detecting and monitoring benign breast lesions and evaluating the effectiveness of treatments aimed at improving breast health. It works by measuring heat emissions that correspond to the physiologic activity of the tissue being studied. There is:
– No Radiation
– No Compression
– Up to 10 years earlier detection than any other imaging method
While x-ray mammography and ultrasound work by comparing the physical density of different areas of the breast, Infrared Mammography, like MRI mammography, actually measures the physiologic characteristics of the breast tissue. Infrared Mammography is the best tool for detecting the unregulated flow of core blood to the breast. This is a pattern that occurs in the blood vessels that feed malignant cells, even before a tumor is large enough to be detected by other methods.
Standard x-ray mammography is an excellent method for detecting cancer in post-menopausal women who are not receiving hormone replacement therapy. This technology is extensively developed, widely available, and universally covered by insurance plans.
However, the clinical effectiveness of x-ray imaging techniques is limited by the fact that they can only detect differences in tissue density, not physiology. Tumors that are extremely similar in density to the surrounding healthy tissue can not be effectively found using x-ray based imaging techniques. This makes x-ray mammography a less effective screening tool for younger women or women with dense or fibrocystic breasts. Thus, even though breast cancer is now the leading cause of death for women ages 29 – 45, mammograms are not usually recommended for this age group and most young women do not get any kind of screening. Mammograms are also ineffective for women receiving hormone replacement therapy and women with a history of biopsy or breast surgery.
Infrared mammography is ideal for:
– Women who want to avoid radiation and breast compression
– Pre-menopausal women
– Women receiving hormone replacement therapy
– History of breast biopsy or breast surgery
– Dense or fibrocystic breasts
– Very large or very small breasts
– Women with implants
– Women who are pregnant or nursing
– Detection of inflammatory breast cancer
We suggest women get a baseline screening as early as age 25 and then once a year starting at age 40.
Infrared Mammography is available at the Good Life Health Center in Show Low, AZ.
Contact us for more information at 928-537-4242