Welcome to Carolina Thermascan, LLC. A Thermascan is a diagnostic procedure that images the breasts to aid in the early detection of breast cancer. Digital Infrared Imaging utilizes a high resolution and ultra sensitive infrared thermographic camera along with powerful software to detect very subtle variations in the temperature and vascular pattern of the breasts. Hot spots can be signs of increased vascular activity as would be seen in a tumor and would then merit further investigation, typically by ultrasound. After puberty, the vascular pattern of the breast should not change under normal circumstances. Thermography is able to obtain a "finger print" of the breast, identifying vascular characteristics which should always be the same when future scans are done. Any change in this vascular pattern is a cause for concern.
The procedure is based on the principle that heat from blood vessel activity in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in the normal breast. The Thermascan’s ability to detect a pre-cancerous state resides in its capability of monitoring the temperature and blood vessel alterations produced by the changes in tissue physiology, as well as overall angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth), which is detected as greater heat and shown as a brighter color.
Breast Thermography is completely non-invasive and involves no form of energy being imparted onto or into the body. It can be used repeatedly without worry of excessive radiation exposure and is safe in pregnant and lactating women. It is able to give clues to potential problems earlier than more structurally-based imaging methods such as mammography or ultrasound. It is very sensitive with an 88% likelihood that what shows up abnormal is truly abnormal. It is less specific, meaning that inflammation or infection can cause false-positive findings, especially on initial studies. Repeat studies are important to help determine normal patterns for any individual woman, allowing these variants to be distinguished from malignant disease and changes potential seen in subsequent scans.
The benefits of the Thermascan are:
· No radiation
· No compression of the breasts – completely painless
· Non invasive
· No risks or side effects
· Accuracy to 0.0018 degree Celsius
· Able to detect first signs of cancer up to 10 years before any other procedure can detect it (1)
· Ideal in situations when mammograms are often inaccurate or unsafe:
o Pre-menopausal women with dense breasts
o Post-menopausal women on hormone replacement
o Women with fibrocystic breast disease
o Pregnant or lactating women
o Women with breast implants
o Women with previous biopsies with scar tissue
o Women planning breast augmentation surgery (to be sure no cancer is present before the operation)
It is not recommended that breast thermography replace mammography, but instead be used to complement this procedure or allow it to be used less frequently.
