Question 1

Who is breast thermography for?

Accepted Answer

Breast thermography is for the woman who does not want to be surprised with a breast cancer diagnosis…. For the woman who desires to monitor her breast health and be preventative and pro-active with her health. Breast thermography is also for women who cannot have mammograms due to implants or mastectomies or who are pregnant or lactating. It is for women for whom mammograms are not helpful: those with dense breast tissue.

Question 2

When should women start getting breast thermograms?

Accepted Answer

Considering that 20% of breast cancers occur in women under the age of 45, and breast cancers are almost always more aggressive in younger women, it is recommended that women age 20 start making breast thermography a part of their woman’s self health care protocol. A personal baseline can then be established, and then if things go awry, those changes can be noted early and nipped in the bud. Prevention and pro-activity are powerful.

Question 3

How often should I get a thermogram?

Accepted Answer

It is recommended that women 20-30 years old get a thermogram every 3 years and those over 30, every year. Following this schedule is an easy way to monitor one’s breast health and catch a change early.
-If your report shows your breasts are healthy and at low risk for breast cancer, then it will be recommended to have your next thermogram in 12-36 months, depending on age.
-If your report indicates a medium to high risk situation then it will be recommended to take steps to improve your breast health and return for a thermogram in another 3-6 months in order to monitor any developments.
There are many things we can do to improve our breast health. Pro-activity is powerful and thermography is an insightful tool that can be used to monitor one’s breast health.
We no longer need to wonder if what we are doing is effective.

Question 4

What if I already check my breasts for lumps and get mammograms occasionally? … would a thermogram still be helpful?

Accepted Answer

Definitely yes. And once you understand what a thermogram does you’ll understand why.
A self breast check and a mammogram are both looking for lumps, or “structures”. The lump has to be about the size of a green pea in order to be found by these methods. Considering that cancer cells double on average every 90 days, it takes about 8 years to grow to that findable size.
A thermogram is a different technique. It uses infrared technology, reading the infrared heat naturally coming off of the body. It is not looking for a structure (or lump) but looking for abnormal heat patterns and abnormal vascularity patterns indicating a physiological malfunction. This is how a thermogram can detect a problem in progress or starting, years before it may become a lump big enough to be found by other methods. And with most diseases, early detection is key. The earlier you find a problem, the more options you have for a successful recovery. The idea is: Catch it early before it becomes a bigger problem.

Question 5

So if I get thermograms will I never have to get mammograms again?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily.  Thermograms, mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRI’s are all different technologies that each serve a different purpose, for a different time in one’s health (see this helpful on our blog).
A thermogram is excellent at detecting a physiological problem in process or starting. If your thermogram shows that there is a high risk that a breast cancer is present or growing then it will be recommended that you employ the help of a technology that will then look to see if a structure (lump) can be found. This would be a mammogram or an ultrasound.

Question 6

Is thermography only for the breasts?..... what about the rest of the body?

Accepted Answer

Once again, beware of what the internet tells you. There is an assumption going around that because thermography is helpful for early detection of breast cancer that it can detect cancer anywhere in the body.  That is not true.
However, depending on the equipment used, medical thermography can also be useful for the rest of the body. It is dependent upon the equipment. Each piece of medical equipment is FDA-approved for different purposes and levels of use.
BodyLife Imaging uses the top equipment in the medical thermography field, with the most detailed FDA approval available, making it approved and useful for the assessment and monitoring of many health conditions. Therefore we are approved to do imaging for full body, half body, and target areas.

Question 7

Why doesn’t my doctor know about medical thermography?

Accepted Answer

Unlike Europe, the UK, New Zealand, and many other countries, doctors in the USA are not taught about thermography while training to become a physician, and therefore they may not know about this technology or the advances in the past 40 years.  Most other medically advanced countries embrace thermography and medical applications of infrared science.

Question 8

What is the cost?

Accepted Answer

Appointments vary per imaging series. At BodyLife Imaging the price includes the images taken with our top technology equipment, the images sent to a Board Certified Breast Thermologist, and your images and reports sent to you and any healthcare provider of your choice.
BodyLife Imaging strives to provide excellence in thermal imaging at an affordable price.  See our list of services & pricing here.

Question 9

Will insurance cover my appointment?

Accepted Answer

Insurance companies standardly do not offer compensation for thermography at this point in time. However some possibilities for coverage may be a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA).  You may also be eligible for reimbursement through the United Breast Cancer Foundation. It never hurts to try out these options if your insurance does not cover thermography. Looking on the bright side, because insurance is not involved we are able to keep the costs at a fraction of the price… and no doctor referral is needed.  The decision is left in the hands of the individual.

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