(Friday, 4 may HealthDay News) - thermography - a method for the detection of breast cancer considered by some as a substitute for mammography - is a non-reliable cancer, according to new research.
In a study of some 180 women, thermography missed about 50% of cancers and delivered too many false positives, said Dr. C.M. Guilfoyle, researcher at the hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
Screening method uses software to measure and compare thermal anomalies in the breast and radiation without creating a breast "card" to find signs of developing breast cancer. The thinking is that the temperature is in the regions where the increase in blood flow, and which may indicate a tumor.
Researchers assessed the technique, marketed as the touching breast Scan, on the breasts of women undergoing biopsies after that they had dubious conclusions about other imaging examinations.
"I think that we always try to determine the role of thermography as a breast cancer screening tool," said Guilfoyle. Technology, it was often not able to differentiate between malignant and benign, injury she said.
Guilfoyle should present the findings Friday at the annual meeting of the American Society of surgery breast in Phoenix.
The test, as its name indicates, is no physical contact. It is available in the area of the city of New York and may extend to other locations earlier, said Barbara Zimmerly, a spokesman for the company.
It costs about $150, and it is not covered by insurance at this time. "The test is accurate, according to the latest study by 88 per cent," said Zimmerly.
Guilfoyle, however, has less precision in the assessment of women with abnormal radiological results between October 2009 and may 2011.
For the study, every woman has a thermography test before a tissue biopsy and Guilfoyle compared the results of pathology of the final tissue with the results of thermography. Each breast has been interpreted as positive or negative for cancer based on the results of thermography.
Healthy breast was also discussed with thermography. Two models of thermography analysis were used. A focus on the minimization of false negative results; the other focused on reducing anxiety-producing false positives.
Depending on what model of scanning was used, thermography missed, about half of all cancers or had an excessively high number of false positives from the reports of pathology on the abnormal breasts, according to the study.
The researchers also found that 47% of normal breast received a false positive reading on the analysis of thermography.
The role of thermography is always changing, said Dr. Kimberly Lovett, Southern California Permanente physician and a researcher at the University of California-San Diego Center for patient safety.
Lovett wrote about the dangers of ads online all thermography as the sole method for the detection of breast cancer.
"I would say women thermography continues to be studied, and hopefully, the technology will improve over time," said. "However, at this time, thermography should absolutely not be used as an alternative to mammography screening or as an alternative to biopsy of the breast in the presence of a positive screening."
If a woman has a suspicious lesion on a mammogram, the methods of monitoring should be an ultrasound or biopsy or both, says Lovett.
Mammography remains the gold standard for detecting breast cancer, says Lovett. The American Cancer Society agrees that thermography is not a substitute for mammography.
Data and conclusions presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a medical journal reviewed by peers.
More information
For more information on breast imaging, visit the American Cancer Society.
SOURCES: C.M. Guilfoyle, M.D., investigator Bryn Mawr hospital, Bryn Mawr, Penn; Kimberly Lovett, M.D., researcher, Centre of San Diego for the safety of the patients, the University of California-San Diego. Barbara Zimmerly, spokesman without touching breast Scan; American Society of Surgeons of breast, annual meeting, from 2 to 6 may 2012, Phoenix
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