Clinical Thermography of Colorado Opens Doors to Non-Invasive Breast Cancer Screening; "Star Wars'' Technology Provides Early, No-Radiation Screening.

Business Wire; 1/15/2003

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2003

Clinical Thermography of Colorado (CTC), a breast-screening center dedicated to helping healthcare professionals and consumers discover and monitor breast health concerns, announces the availability of FDA-approved digital thermography, a complement to standard breast mammography.

Because thermography is a physiological (versus anatomical) test, it may provide earlier detection of breast abnormalities.

"We've known for years that thermography is an accurate, reliable, and consistent adjunctive tool for breast cancer screening and other breast-health issues in their early stages," says Lynn Marshall, RN and co-owner of CTC. "It is especially useful for women who are small-breasted, pregnant, under the age of 40, have implants or are post-mastectomy."

Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (D.I.T.I.) is a 15-minute, non-invasive image screening procedure that detects the subtle physiologic changes that accompany breast pathology, whether it is cancer, fibrocystic disease, an infection or a vascular disease. Once the non-radiation, non-invasive image screening is complete, qualified doctors read the images and provide a report, often as quickly as 24 hours later. When D.I.T.I. is used in conjunction with mammography, the likelihood of early detection and treatment options increases dramatically.

"Thermograms can often detect physiologic breast abnormalities (i.e., asymmetrical vascular patterns, inflammatory changes, and neovascularity) even before a mammogram detects an actual tumor," says Sylvia Philpy, RN, NP and co-owner of CTC. "A thermogram offers powerful information for women at almost any stage of their lives, and may be particularly useful in continuing to monitor a previously diagnosed condition. This procedure is very comfortable -- there's no clinician, physician or instrument contact -- and there is absolutely no radiation involved."

"Health care providers would agree," says Philpy, "that the sooner abnormalities can be detected, the greater the treatment advantage, and the higher the chance of achieving good outcomes."

In addition to FDA approval, the American Medical Association approved digital thermography in 1992. All of CTC's breast screening results are interpreted by qualified doctors, and CTC provides individualized attention and emotional support to its clients. "Digital thermography is cost effective, completely safe and requires no referral, unlike most mammograms," says Marshall.