Alternative Breast Screening for a New Generation
It’s important to find the best test for your unique breast health! Knowing all your options is key.
Today’s women are tougher, stronger, and smarter than ever…and they expect quality health care options…and why shouldn’t they? For too long availability of natural breast screening options have not been made widely known. But that is changing! Breast thermography is a non-radiologic alternative to mammograms especially suitable for women age 30- 50 whose imaging needs require special consideration.
Thermal breast scans can benefit women of all ages, but can be especially helpful with younger women. Thermography is a safe, non-invasive test that can be used to monitor ongoing breast health. An infrared digital camera is used to measure the body’s heat into colored images of the breasts. The colors will vary according to the heat variance emitted from the body and certain color patterns are expected to show up as normal findings. For example, a high degree of symmetry between the two sides of the body is to be expected. A radiologist will interpret the color patterns and abnormalities or concerns will be identified. Abnormal blood flow, lymph flow, suspect cell proliferation, and unusual blood vessel formation can also be visualized.
Prevention of Breast Cancer Calls For Vigilance
30- to 50-year-old women should be especially vigilant with breast health due to these women typically having more dense breast tissue. Just the age of the breast tissue is one factor that causes the density. Being pre-menopausal or taking combination estrogen/progesterone therapy for menopausal symptoms are also associated with having dense breasts. Regardless of the reason, this density poses a problem with traditional breast imaging as it makes it much more difficult for a radiologist to correctly read a mammogram. With a mammogram of a dense breast, the presence of the dense tissue can often hide the appearance of a tumor! The quality of thermographic breast images however, are not affected by dense breasts (or implants) so breast thermography is a good option for women who fall into those categories. Breast thermography is also useful for any woman who cannot or who simply wishes not to have a mammogram.
Another reason women 30-50 need to be especially vigilant with breast health is because breast cancer tumors typically grow much more quickly in this age group. Because a tumor typically grows over the course of several years, the earliest detection of abnormality possible is desired so that diagnosis and intervention can begin as quickly as possible. This is where breast thermography can be a real benefit. The faster a tumor grows the more heat is generated and the more likely it is that it will be picked up by breast thermography.
The role of thermography is to assist with early detection and to monitor abnormal physiology. Breast thermography can provide information regarding a specific area that may need follow-up examination or close monitoring. The more quickly a concern is brought to ones’ attention, the greater likelihood of early detection and treatment for all women, and especially for younger women of the new generation.
