Thermography: Can you say "Double Take?"

I often get asked “what exactly is a cancer”?

“Cancer is a group of diseases that cause cells in the body to change and grow out of control. Most types of cancer cells even­tually form a lump or mass called a tumor, and are named after the part of the body where the tumor originates.” This comes directly from The American Cancer Society.

Now that I have provided an explanation that may or may not answer the original question “what exactly is a cancer,” I would like to provide you with some information on the “cells” that make up cancer.

Cancer cells double in number on average every 90 days of their life. Given that knowledge, consider this: at 90 days of life there are 2 cells; at 2 years there are 256 cells; at 5 years there are 1,048,576 cells (this number is still undetectable by mammography); at 8 years of life there are 4,294,967,296 cells. These cells have doubled approximately 32 times to about 1cm in size and normally can be detected by traditional mammograms. I feel another number to share is this: 40 doublings, which happens over approximately 10 years is generally considered lethal.

Thermography Screening has the opportunity to detect changes at any stage in the development of cancer cells within the first year through the point when a tumor is dense enough to be seen with traditional mammography.

Thermography’s early detection of change can lead to a much earlier diagnosis and better treatment options as well as the opportunity for patients and their healthcare practitioners to intervene at an early stage with preventative treatment. I for one always opt for prevention over intervention.

If you would like additional information about Thermography and how it might apply to you specifically, or would like to schedule an appointment, please do not hesitate to call me.

Victoria Bailey, CCT, 615-934-3121, Breast Thermography of Middle TN; or visit our website at: www.bodybreastscans.com 

THERMOGRAPHY: Undressing More than Breasts

Well, Thermography has been happily receiving its fair share of press lately! I for one am so pleased that this technology is no longer being discounted as “snake medicine."

Although there is still the perception that Thermography is new technology, take it from someone who has been familiar with it since 1990, it’s not new; it wasn’t new then. This is the same “heat sensing” technology our armed forces have been using for years; albeit fine-tuned for the healthcare industry.

For some time, the most commonly known use for Thermography was breast screening. Its early detection capabilities have been proven to capture subtle changes in breast tissue far earlier than traditional screening mechanisms; thus creating an opportunity for earlier, more holistic approaches towards intervention. But did you know Thermography works the same throughout the body? Thermography can do for your thyroid, carotid artery, liver, etc., what it can for breasts; detect subtle changes that arise, thus identifying an issue and encouraging more clinical correlation at a much earlier stage.

Now, I am not saying that Thermography detects “cancer.” What I am saying is that Thermography does detect the subtle changes that “accompany” cancer growth within our tissues. Cancer is a fickle and tricky cell. What we do know is cancer cells have 3 basic characteristic:

1. They multiply more rapidly than normal cells

2. They are less differentiated

3. They don’t die when they are supposed to

There are many factors either contributing to, or helping to prevent, this chain of events in the life of a cancer cell. Some of it is driven by heredity, some by lifestyle.

I’ve explained several times in my other blogs what Thermography is, but I’m going to break it down once again. Thermography is a 15-minute, non-invasive test designed to improve detection of breast disease, as well as other physiological ailments throughout the body. There is no contact with the body of any kind, no radiation, and the procedure is painless. It uses Thermography, a process of infrared technology to spot abnormalities throughout your body by measuring temperature variations. Thermography can be performed on your entire body, I like to call it “A Report Card for Your Body”; or on any one specific region such as breasts, head, upper/lower body, etc.

If you would like additional information about Thermography and how it might apply to you specifically, or would like to schedule an appointment, please do not hesitate to call me.

Victoria Bailey, CCT, 615-934-3121, Breast Thermography of Middle TN; or visit our website at: www.bodybreastscans.com