Thermography is gaining ground as a valid alternative to mammograms given that more women are seeking non-radiation alternatives for identification of breast anomalies amid a very x-ray happy medical community that seems unconcerned with long term exposure risk. But, are the benefits of thermography for real?
I myself have never had a mammogram. I’ve followed in the footsteps of my wise 86 year old mother who once said, “Why look for breast cancer with a test that can actually cause breast cancer?”
If only our conventional medical community made decisions using this much common sense!
By some estimates, up to 20% of all breast cancers diagnosed in the United States annually are actually caused by the cumulative radiation effects of mammograms. This data point makes the recommendation for annual or semi-annual mammograms after age 40 absolutely ludicrous!
If you don’t have breast cancer when you start screening with mammograms, you probably will years later after all that cumulative ionizing radiation exposure!
Another major problem with mammograms is the compression factor. This sometimes painful aspect of mammograms risks the spread of any breast cancer that may be present. This from Dr. Samuel Epstein MD, one of the world’s top cancer experts:
As early as 1928, physicians were warned to handle “cancerous breasts with care– for fear of accidentally disseminating cells” and spreading cancer. Nevertheless, mammography entails tight and often painful compression of the breast, particularly in premenopausal women. This may lead to distant and lethal spread of malignant cells by rupturing small blood vessels in or around small, as yet undetected breast cancers. (1)
So, what to do if you need to safely screen for breast cancer?
Thermography, or Medical Infrared Imaging, has been heralded by many in the alternative health community as a safe option to mammograms. Indeed, thermography is a very safe and effective breast screening technology. It very accurately identifies the vascular changes associated with breast cancer well in advance of when a mammogram would identify a problem. (2)
In addition, thermography is a much better choice than mammograms in these instances:
- Women on hormone replacement
- Mothers who are nursing
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Large breasts
- Dense breast tissue
- Breast implants
In these situations, there is much difficulty in reading mammograms accurately. When using thermography, however, breast differences do not cause any interpretation difficulties.
Here’s what Christiane Northrup MD, a fan of thermography, has to say:
“The most promising aspect of thermography is its ability to spot anomalies years before mammography.”
“Today, women are encouraged to get a mammogram, so they can find their breast cancer as early as possible. With thermography as your regular screening tool, it’s likely that you would have the opportunity to make adjustments to your diet, beliefs, and lifestyle to transform your cells before they became cancerous. Talk about true prevention.” (3)
Before you run to the phone and schedule your thermogram, however, there are a few more things you need to know.
Time for the reality check.
Thermography Pitfalls You Need to Know About
While thermography is definitely a helpful and nontoxic approach to detecting breast cancer at any stage, it is not the perfect alternative to mammograms as it is frequently portrayed.
First of all, thermography is rarely covered by medical insurance. As a result, the typical fee of several hundred dollars for the initial screen with a required followup screen costing an additional one or two hundred dollars within 3-6 months is completely out of pocket for the vast majority of patients. A single thermogram each year after the initial 2 screenings is recommended – another expense. For many women, this large personal expense is simply out of the question especially in the current economic environment.
Even in my home state of Florida where the law stipulates that all medical insurance providers provide policyholders with a free mammogram every 2 years for women aged 40-50 and an annual mammogram for women over 50 with no deductible or co-pay required, women still must pay out of pocket as no substitution of a thermogram for a mammogram is permitted.
Thermogram? You Might Be Forced to Have a Mammogram Anyway
A second very real problem with going the thermography route is that you frequently get forced into getting a mammogram anyway. All that money out of pocket and you still end up getting doused with radiation!
The reason is that thermography detects any breast anomalies not just cancer. An example is a benign cyst. So, women frequently end up at the gynecologist after having a thermogram which identified anything that looked remotely suspicious. This could be something as simple and common as a clogged milk duct.
Once at the gynecologist, women are shocked to learn that a mammogram is almost always required. Substituting a simple breast ultrasound as the first line diagnosis test to examine the anomaly is not allowed. You have to get a mammogram first even though mammograms are far less effective at identifying breast cancer!
It’s such a racket – I call it the Mammogram Mafia. Those mammograms are such a nice residual moneymaker for (some) GYNs. The situation is much like the kickbacks doctors receive for prescribing certain drugs. You didn’t actually think they would let you bypass it so easily did you?
A large out of pocket expense for a thermogram only to end up forced to have a mammogram is a source of extreme frustration for women trying to avoid mammograms in the first place.
UPDATE: Good news! Women can now get a annual breast ultrasound without a prescription. This means you can skip the mammograms FOREVER! And, a breast ultrasound is about half the price of a thermogram. More on how to schedule this service in this article about the benefits of breast ultrasound instead of mammograms.
Are Thermograms Helpful At All?
Given these very real pitfalls, does it make sense for women to use thermography at all? In my opinion, yes, thermograms are an extremely beneficial test.
However, a woman needs to go down that road with her eyes completely open knowing that her battle to forgo mammograms is not necessarily over!
Be sure to have a discussion with your chosen thermographer before the appointment. This will ensure that he/she has a way for you to get only a breast ultrasound and not a mammogram if a suspicious area is detected.
In my local area, there are thermographers that can provide this service, and others that cannot. Be sure to ask!
My Thermography Adventure
Here’s what happened to me. I got a routine thermogram which discovered a suspicious area which turned out to only be a clogged milk duct (my daughter was weaning at that time) but since we didn’t know what it was when the thermography was done, I was referred for a simple breast ultrasound.
I then discovered to my dismay that no one in town would give me just a breast ultrasound. Unless of course, I had a mammogram first!
Fortunately, coming from a medical family, I was able to circumvent the mammogram madness. I obtained a script for a breast ultrasound with no mammogram. Even then, the battle wasn’t yet over! When I went in for my breast ultrasound, I was read the riot act about forgoing the mammogram by the attending physician. This, after she admitted that a mammogram was not even an appropriate test for me as I have dense breast tissue!
She also denied that each mammogram (4 films per breast) exposes a woman to approximately 1 rad (radiation absorbed dose) of exposure. This is about 1000 times more than a chest x-ray. Amazing that she so vehemently denied this fact even though this information is clearly documented by the Institute of Medicine (4).
These people are so brainwashed! It’s really sad and downright dangerous for those who don’t research for themselves. Clueless, misinformed docs. They are everywhere my friends!
In summary, thermography is a fantastic diagnostic tool that is clearly superior to mammograms. But, be sure to have your ducks in a row about what you will do if anything suspicious is found before you pay all that money out of pocket!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
More Information
170 Scientific Studies Confirm the Dangers of Soy
When Breast Cancer Isn’t Bad News
Komen (Not) for the Cure: The Complete and Utter Pinkwashing of America
The Dangers of Estrogenic Foods, Herbs, and Supplements to Breast Health
I have to find a new one each time, sadly. When I find we’re moving, it panics me a little since thermographers can be hard to find. When in California we were close to Santa Barbara and I used Jackie Kane. You can google her and find her. She was completely responsible for changing my life course in this regard. She is so knowledgeable and is in the loop with all others professionals who practice natural living in the area who offer services. Now, I’m in Montana and the thermographer travels between the cities of Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, etc. I have to wait until she is in my town. I found her online too but can’t seem to remember her name right now but she can be found by googling as well. My mom uses a chiropractor/thermographer in Tallahassee. I don’t know her name, but she found her by googling LOL
Hello Melissa, could you please post the name of the chiropractor/thermographer in Tallahassee that your mom uses….also, could your mom recommend an OBGYN in Tallahasse or a NP doctor who is familiar with thermography and favors it, instead of mammography? This info would be of tremendous help to me right now, as I am having pain in my left breast near my underarm and need to find a good doctor and thermographer. Thank You!
I will ask her tomorrow. Can you email me your email addy and I’ll send you the info that way? [email protected]. 🙂
Who did you end up with as a thermographer in Tallahassee? Also natural doctor recommendation?
I’ve had a 4 yr journey with thermography and was also very concerned when I just read the title. I have learned volumes in my thermo experience so I’m just talking about my journey and position here.
I had a non cancerous lump removed at the age of 35 and it was recommended I get mammos every year for the rest of my life after that..”just to make sure”. About 3 yrs into that suggest I started reading and finding out how dangerous that might be. I landed on the Mercola website after googling “safe alternatives to mammograms” and found out about thermograms.
At my first appt, my thermographer got me into underwire bras. The problem is not circulation, but instead, it cuts off your lymph flow. The lymph system is a huge part of this whole discussion. There is more lymph in your body than blood, but MDs do not seem to focus much on it, which boggles me. The lymph system delivers waste material/fluid out of your body. This is crucial to your health! When done effectively where there is no blockage from clogged lymph fluid or the hindrance from tight clothing or underwires, sufficient hydration, etc, it works well to keep toxins moving out. Stagnant lymph fluid is just toxics sitting on your tissues. Just sitting there, it causes inflammation or infection and is easily ID’d by a thermogram. This is what I had above both breasts in pretty large amounts right in the lymph ducts and pathways. My thermographer pretty much told me, if left there and not moved through, would almost certainly degenerate the cells, possibly causing malignancy. THIS is what makes thermography so valuable. it’s total prevention. Various conditions can be spotted that are known to cause big health issues down the road. I went full force into a removing chemicals in our lives (toxin/chemical overload causes a strain on the lymph system and causes lymph system to back up), sufficient sweating/exercise, hydration, skin brushing, green drinks, etc. I also got lymph massages to physically move that junk out. A year later, my thermogram was 80% better.
In my journey, I was extremely fortunate that my thermographer also had loads and loads of advice on what to do next since problems were found and could refer me out to lymph massage therapists and advise on lifestyle changes. One of Sarahs points is that once thermograms find problems, people end up in an MD’s office, back with conventional choices only. This CAN be true in a lot of cases, but doesn’t have to be. Try to ask questions before going to find a thermograher that can also advice somewhat (without getting sued by the medical association that is) after the images come through. OR can refer you to an ND for further advice. I was also fortunate that my (military) doctor would do a sonogram and I didn’t have to do a follow up mammograhy. They DID suggest and try to schedule me for one after the US but I just didn’t call them back to schedule and never had to deal with it. Then again, I’m used to getting the lectures. We don’t vaccinate, don’t do flouride, etc. So I get my lectures every six months at the dentist office, and every time my husband gets stationed somewhere else until the Peds get used to our choices. I’ve just learned how to deal with it.
The cost is a downfall? Yes, sure…….it is out of pocket as will be any follow up changes or treatment if anything is found. It’s not easy to come up w/ the money all the time but we GLADLY sacrifice where we can to make this possible. It’s my HEALTH and my LIFE. I had NO IDEA about a lymph system and the damage poisonous stagnant fluid could do. I am happy to pay the cost since it has lead me into a complete and total chance of lifestyle and now, TRUE nutrition that I had no clue we needed. It is responsible for opening my eyes and changing our lives. A chemcial-free home, organic foods, bone broths and vibrancy to name a few things! Hardly a downfall. This is my perspective at least. It costs me under $200 a year now and I save 6 months leading up to my appt to make sure I have it. This year I”m saving for a full body thermogram which nears $500 but I have a year to save and almost have it. Where there is a will there is a way!
It’s also interesting to note that most (certainly not all) cancers take 5 to 20 yrs to build to a dangerous point. You can look this fact up on mercola.com, naturalnews.com, other reputable online resources, etc (also, my ND, and both thermographers I’ve used have said this.) Thermography readers (which by the way are MDs! the image is sent off to be read).. can spot a change in your image, up to a tiny PIXEL on the computer screen, theoretically many years before a mammo can detectit.. Thermography provides a safe way to look inside to spot inflammation or issues YEARS and YEARS ahead of any serious problems. This fact says to me that lifestyles, nutritional or lack of, and things like mammograms or the lack of can all help us to get in there and PREVENT problems in our day to day choices. Cancer victims are not just unlucky. Unless it’s truly inherited, the whole picture in a persons choices makes the difference.
One more thing. Thermograms spot *many* issues. My 65 yr old mother just started getting them and it spotted an inflammed liver (she didn’t know it was inflammed), problems in her veins in her left leg (she’s lived a lifetime with bloodclots there), inflammed lymph nodes in her left arm (she’d had arm pain there that Md’s couldn’t explain) as well as a confirmation on a very rare auto immune sydrome that she suspected she had. Her thermographer was very experienced and is now guiding her in lifestyle changed that will hopefully make a difference in some of these things. For a couple of things, yes, she will end up in a doctors office since she needs an MRI. I don’t see that as a downfall. She can certainly pick and choose to follow the advice. However the image might just provide info to her and her ND that will help her make her choice on care. Her ND can’t order an MRI. My thermograms have also spotted an abscessed tooth I didn’t know about. For the last couple years tho, it has provided peace of mind.
Thanks for sharing your experience Melissa. The information is really helpful – esp reminders about lymph system health effects. Being a military family (as I was, retired now) I imagine you move a lot. Do you return to the same thermographer or find a new one when you move. Sounds like you have a good one. Could you share the location?
Wow. Thanks for the great info it has been very helpful.
Very helpful information! Kudos to you for dealing with the military health system and not caving in to their often very commanding and scarey tactics to get vaccinated and such. We retired a few years ago, and I just stopped going to military dr.s and paid out of pocket to see civilians (although they weren’t much better until I found a naturopath – I still got high pressure lectures to vaccinate but at least they didn’t threaten my husband’s career!).
Most cancers take 5-20yrs to build to a dangerous point? No. *Most* cancers are much more rapidly progressing than that. Some, like, prostrate cancer, take a long time to become truly damaging – ie the statement that many more older men die *with* prostate cancer than *from* prostate cancer but that is by far the exception rather than the rule.
Food for thought if you’re going to make the assertion you did: what about the WIDE variety of cancers that are diagnosed in children, young children (think 15mos and up)? Many of them have not even been alive for 5yrs.
I’m repeating what natural health care professionals whom I trust have said as well as put into print. It’s not an assertion I, myself have made. And yours is opinion with no backing. There ARE fast growing cancers. I believe I said *most* take many years to develop. When do we normally find out about cancer? After it’s causing symptoms and sent us to conventional doctors. How long as it been there? Some have been there for many years being fed by poor choices and other toxins. Thermography is actually a tool that has proven that cancer, from it’s EARLIEST possible beginning…a free radical that has malfunctioned and no longer “turns off”, thus mutating and quickly causes visible inflammation visible in a thermogram… starts at such a small stage that MM’s can’t even detect them…again, starting from the mutating cell stage. Once it’s a viable tumor it’s already had a life as a cancer well before that. And for many years, many of the cancers go undetected in these extremely early forms. Then, once it’s finally detected, the far majority of newly diagnosed cancer patients are shot full of poisonous radiation and chemo and BAM..cancer grows furiously. In THIS stage is a fast grower. But in general, lots of cancers live a longer life than we have been taught through conventional medicine. Why? Because conventional medicine is not about PREVENTION.
Cassie, she very clearly said “most,” not “all.” You even acknowledge this. I don’t know why you would try to knock down her statement as untrue when instead you’re really agreeing with her that it’s obviously not “all” but truly “most.”
I am 51 years old and have never had a mammogram in spite of my friends/family/doctors advice. My grandmother is 97 years old and to my knowledge has never had one.
How are mammograms money makers for GYNs? They must be done by radiologists?
I’d like to know this too. Mine are not done in my OB/GYN’s office, but either at the breast imaging center or a hospital.
Hi,
For those wanting to know the problems with underwire bras, I think they cut off circulation. When I wore one, I was getting pain under my left armpit by my breast. As soon as I stopped wearing them, the pain went away. I think if I had continued to wear them, I would have had more issues.
I started with wirefree bras. They aren’t quite as good, but sufficient. I’m a size C. You have to make sure there is no boning on the side as that is bad too.
Now I wear little tank tops with shelves in them because I find even the wirefree bras constrictive, but I’ve also gained weight, so I might just need a bigger size. Sometimes I wear two of the tops with the shelves in them for extra support or a jogging bra. It works for me and I think my breasts are happier!
Lymphatic drainage is an important part of the body’s circulatory, immune and detox system. Unlike blood, however, it’s not pumped but movement of lymph depends on muscle movement and/or anti-gravity effects from things like jogging or even better, rebounding. There are lots of lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels in and around the armpits, upper chest, breasts and below. Underwires and tight bands and straps compress these nodes and vessels and prevent the lymphatic system from draining properly. The more time spent without a bra (which I realize isn’t very comfortable for some women), the better.
Thermography isn’t as evasive which makes it more attractive but doesn’t necessarily catch more than the mammograph. However, October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month we are seeing the pink ribbons all over the place which means “give us more money for research”. Actually, if these organizations with their hands out for money would apply that money towards further research on cancer “cures” that actually exist already, we could be long removed from these evasive and less-evasive treatments. Unfortunately, it appears good organizations, who once were concerned about women first, have gone the way of many such groups: cushy jobs, great money perks, and joined up with the devil causing the problems. Just had to say it.
Thank you Frankie, for saying it. There is a campaign called, “Think before you Pink,” and it is eye-opening. So good to know, not everyone is fooled by their “pink wash.”
I believe you mean INVASIVE and NON-INVASIVE.
Evasive means to be ignored, not found
Hi ladies, this maybe a stupid question, but what is wrong with underwire, and what is a good alternative to it. Thanks for the great by the way. This helps to solidify my decision against not ever getting a mammogram. Thanks.
Could someone please explain the problem with underwire bras. I’ve worn them for years w/o any difficulties. If these are not good, does anyone have suggestions as to what would work just as well for supporting larger figures? Thanks
Dumb question, ladies. If you don’t wear underwire bras, then what do you wear for support?? What else is out there? I just bought a new bra, happened to be underwire, as I’ve lost a lot of weight and I don’t recall seeing anything that will help lift me up instead of letting me sag. Thanks!
Coobie bras are wonderful! They don’t dig in around the ribs, they stretch, and have decent removable liners. I have had problems with painful lumps on my left side for years, but have had almost complete reversal of that since switching to Coobies. They are great too if you have a hard time finding bras that fit well both around the ribs and the cup size. Go to Coobiestore.com. Also search online and you can always find a buy one get one free Coobie coupon code.
I too was concerned about the article’s title. I am 40 and just had my first breast thermography images taken a couple months ago. The cost is was $210 for the first appt. and will be $190 for the second appt. 3 months later. I feel that this is definitely worth the cost to establish a baseline. When it comes to our health and well being, it’s a top priority (as well with our food budget). My mom just had a mastectomy last year for breast cancer. She avoided radiation and chemotherapy by having the mastectomy- it was her choice. I do feel her having 25 years of radiation with a yearly mammogram contributed to her getting breast cancer. I don’t want to go down the same path. Since I have it in my family, I need to take precautionary measures. Of course no underwire bras- I threw all of them out when I learned more about breast cancer when she was diagnosed. Another couple of things that my ND told me was to take Tumeric daily, exercise on a rebounder to help circulatory/lymphatic system, and take yoga or meditation daily. I thought these were great tips!
I keep hearing the reply about getting rid of underwire bras but have never come across any articles about why they are bad for breast health. Also, I have quit getting mm probably 3 or 4 years ago after reading about the cumulative effects of radiation. My gyne said since it has been awhile getting one wouldn’t hurt but I said no. So she wrote me an order for a bone scan but I haven’t done it yet. Unfortunately, in Northern IN I don’t know of any places that would offer thermography.