Thermography in breast diagnosis

The role of two types of thermography in the diagnosis of breast disease was studied in 502 women seen over a two-year period. Thirteen cancers were diagnosed in eleven women. The most significant finding was the large number of equivocal or abnormal thermograms in women with normal breasts of benign disease, while in patients with proven cancer, the thermogram was abnormal in less than half. Clinical diagnosis of breast cancer was not enhanced by either or both types of thermogram. Despite specific criteria, thermographic interpretation was inconsistent except in the thermograms reported as "normal." On the basis of the findings, the authors could not recommend that an abnormal thermogram be used as an indication for mammography, since this would result in an inordinate number of these studies, particularly in young women. The findings suggest that thermography is not a sufficiently precise modality for use in routine breast diagnosis.