What is Thermography?

Thermography (also called thermal imaging or infrared imaging) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982 as a supplement to mammography in helping to detect breast cancer. Thermography can help determine whether a local abnormality in breast tissue temperature is present, which may indicate the presence of disease. Though thermography is FDA approved, the exam has not gained acceptance in the medical community as a necessary or effective tool in breast cancer detection. According to the American College of Radiology, thermography has not shown value as a screening, diagnostic, or adjunctive imaging tool.

Is Thermography Useful in Detecting Breast Cancer?

While thermography may be appealing to some women because it is a pain-free exam, most physicians do not recommend thermal imaging. Scientific research over the last 20 years has shown that thermography is not reliable for detecting breast cancer. In 1977, the Beahrs Committee of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommended that thermography be discontinued as a routine screening modality in the NCI’s Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project.

Since then, studies have failed to show a clear benefit of thermal imaging in helping to detect breast cancer. In their 1998 document, "Evaluation of Common Breast Problems: Guidance for Primary Care Providers," Barbara Smith, MD, PhD and her colleagues wrote, "currently, thermography has no role in breast cancer screening or diagnostic evaluation." Several other reports have drawn similar conclusions. That is not to say that improved thermography technology may not one day aid in the breast cancer diagnostic process (see computerized thermal imaging sections below); however, at the moment, thermography is not widely accepted as an effective means of detecting breast cancer.

What is Computerized Thermal Imaging?

Inside view of computerized thermal imaging system with mirrors that deflect infrared waves from a patient's breast to a camera below. Image courtesy of CTI, Inc.

Computerized thermal imaging (CTI) is a new, non-invasive imaging method that is being developed using the principles of traditional thermography but with the addition of digital image reconstruction. Computerized thermal imaging (CTI) is a heat sensing and processing system that uses a thermal sensitive camera to capture a digital image based on heat radiating from the body. A computer-assisted interpretation of the digital image helps to determine whether a local abnormality in breast tissue temperature is present, which may indicate the presence of disease. To date, CTI is only available for eligible women who participate in CTI clinical trials; the technology has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.