Glimpse to the future .

FACTS: 

• Thermography historically has failed as an screening procedure.
• Ultrasound is not recommended as viable option too
• MRI is unavailable and quite expensive for it to be an standard all population method.
• And Mammography our champion is currently in the edge of criticism mainly because of its cost benefit ratio -overdiagnosis + overtreatment numbers and its consequences.

YET : 

They all HAVE a main disadvantage : 

1. TIME and INTERVAL ( Initial screening procedure, frequency)

AND:

IN MOST CASES IT COULD BE A YEAR OR MORE.....

Now:

What if there could be a method of 

CONTINUOS  MONITORING......... 

That is right the only logical option is thermal or infrared monitoring.

I believe with our current knowledge and technology , Thermometry in any of its forms , coupled to current standard recommendations and methods  , clinical or radiological , will eventually assist detection of breast cancers, Specially the high metabolic ones or the aggresive forms of the disease.

Here is an example...... hope you enjoy it.......

Remember the last case : BIRADS III Left breast that eventually turned out to be a breast cancer?

And then 2 years later a secondary CONTRALATERAL breast cancer detected or pin pointed by IR image previously?

Clinical "drawing" of the original 1 cm nodule , and the corresponding infrared image.
In some cases and locations , some tumors might not be detected by mamogram either because of density , technical or anatomical reasons.

DIRA interpretarion demostrated a higher score for the left breast , but also pin pointed independently high infrared emission areas on the right breast.....

Now 2 years later:

Infrared Images after treatment , clearly signal RIGHT area , now well defined as the Highest IR peak or "Thermal Summit" 

IR as I mentioned earlier  could assist , enhance and improves  performance of  Breast Physical Exam and could guide Ultrasound for millimetrical or close to 1 cm lesions.....NOT BAD i Think.


Here comes a vision..........already mentioned in 2007 trying to introduce the first "Smart Bra" , with the fact that even 6 years later nothing has happened.

And in last October a company in the US published their own system with great expectation for the future.

So : what if my patient would have been wearing such a device or a monitoring system:

No Comments , except that : 

The images are clear enough for anyone , the message is simple , and evidence of that new possibility is actually in the right path.....

"Intelligent Thermal or Infrared Monitoring systems WILL aid detection of breast cancers and can be safely introduced in the Clinical Care for our Patients."EMC

I have no other option but to commit myself into this idea and mission.

The How , Who and When is up to you and your collaboration.............

Have a nice day.