Step 1) Preparation – prior to your office visit you will be asked to read and follow the Pre-Examination Instructions and complete the Breast History Form.

Step 2) Equilibration – during the office visit examination you will be disrobed from the waist up for both imaging and to allow for the surface temperature of the body to equilibrate with the room. You will sit with your arms placed in elevated arm rests and away from your body for 20 minutes.

Step 3) Imaging – once equilibrated the female technician will take three (3) camera shots from approximately 4 feet away. (One frontal and two slightly angled shots) To be sure they pictures are clear and accurate the technician will download them before asking you to dress. Once the pictures have been confirmed the Thermography breast exam is completed and the images are sent to Breast Thermography Evaluation.

Thermal breast imaging is used in conjunction with SureTouch in the detection of breast cancer. A thermography breast exam looks for heat that is produced by an increase in blood vessel circulation as well as metabolism changes that occur when a tumor develops and begins to grow. Using this method of thermal imaging for breast cancer screening means that it’s possible that breast cancer can be detected in its precancerous stage or at least be detected when the tumor is too small still to be seen using other methods of breast cancer screenings.

When it comes to thermography vs mammogram, while thermal breast imaging has the potential to detect tumors in their very early stages, it shouldn’t be used as the sole method of breast cancer detection. However, with mammograms being highly inaccurate, painful, and unsafe, they should not be used as the sole method of breast cancer detection, either.

Most people who are familiar with the screening methods used at OC Breast Wellness wouldn’t even consider thermography vs mammogram. Mammogram would be disregarded, and thermography would be used in conjunction with SureTouch as their preferred method of breast cancer screening.