Thermography and ultrasound in detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Although thermography has not proven to be of significant value in detecting early breast cancer as used in the National Breast Cancer Detection Program, it can represent a high risk indicator and can be useful in combination with other factors in reducing the number of women who should receive routine mammograms for screening purposes. In breast cancer patients, thermography has been shown to have prognostic value. "Cold" breast cancers have an increased survival as compared to those with increased infrared emission in some series. The use of diagnostic ultrasound to date has been generally limited to evaluation of breast cancer or masses found by either palpation or mammography. Recent improvements in technology with the use of multiple transducers, higher frequencies, through-transmission techniques, and computerization have resulted in finding lesions greater than one centimeter in diameter. Lesions below this size and small calcifications have not so far been generally demonstrated successfully because of the limitation of ultrasound resolution.
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D013817:Thermography; D014463:Ultrasonography