Who Should have this test?
Every woman should include breast thermography as part of her regular breast health care. With the incidence of breast cancer on the rise, and mortality rates basically unchanged, we must do everything we can to provide better screening in an effort to prevent women from having to deal with this terrible disease. No other screening procedure offers what breast thermography can provide: the earliest known detection, individualized risk assessment, under age 40 screening, and perhaps a significant role in breast cancer prevention.
Breast cancers are particularly aggressive in younger women. Statistics indicate that 15% of all breast cancers occur between the ages of 20 and 44
(1). However, there are no guidelines for the use of sensitive detection imaging during these years. With the addition of Digital Infrared Imaging (breast thermography), women in this age group have a sensitive procedure that they can add to their regular breast health check ups. The following thermographic guidelines for early breast cancer detection include careful breast monitoring during these years.
Women with a Family History of Breast Cancer (mom, sister, aunt, grandmom…)
Initial infrared scan by age 20
20-30 years of age – every 3 years
30 years of age and older – every year
Women with no Family History of Breast Cancer
Initial infrared scan by age 30
30-40 years of age – every 2 years
40 years of age and older– every year
Breast Cancer Survivors
Initial infrared scan after one year from the last radiation/chemotherapy/surgery treatment. Yearly scan is strongly recommended after the initial scan
Sources:
1.) American Cancer Society – Breast Cancer Guidelines and Statistics, 2005
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