Breast Thermography Clinics in 2010     Sundays Feb. 7, May 16, Aug. 15, Dec. 5

 at the Acadia Wellness Centre
#2 – 430 Acadia Dr. SE, Calgary

Go to www.medthermonline.com to book your appointment or call toll free to              1-866-242-5554

The fee for Thermograph and Report is  $250 to be paid at the time thermography is done at our clinic. 

A colour paper copy of your Thermograph and a full report will be sent to you and, as requested, to your health care provider(s) by mail.

What is Thermography?

• An excellent first step in monitoring breast health for women & men.
• Digital infrared camera & computer visualize heat patterns.
• Abnormal patterns indicate changes in tissues.
• No pain, no radiation, no touching by equipment or technician.
• Good for everyone after puberty and for all types of breast tissue.
• Proactive prevention with breast thermography checkups.

Promoting Breast Health
by Dr. Patricia J. Wales, ND

The known risk factors for breast cancer development (including family history, genetics, and prolonged exposure to estrogen.) account for only 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The factors affecting the rest appear to be related to lifestyle choices that we individually have the power to change. Reducing the negative effects of chronic stress and optimizing immune function are powerful tools in minimizing the chances of developing cancer. Effective strategies include:

• Exercise - four hours per week can result in a 37% reduction in risk for breast cancer.
• Stop Smoking
• Increase Your Veggies - 5-8 servings a day. Include green, red, yellow and orange ones to increase your consumption of anti-oxidant compounds.
• Eat More Broccoli - And cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, and collard greens. These are high in a plant compound that makes estrogen less dangerous to breast tissue.
• Choose Organic Foods - certain herbicides and pesticides on produce as well as hormones found in conventional meats have been implicated in breast cancer.
• Eliminate hydrogenated fats - Choose organic butter instead of margarine, and use olive oil and flax oil instead of refined oils.
• Decrease or Avoid Sugar - Sugar depresses the immune system.
• Take Multivitamins - A high quality multivitamin for healthy immune, adrenal and thyroid function.
• Improve lymphatic circulation - dry skin brushing and rebounder exercises help your body to eliminate toxins.
• Take off your Bra - wearing a bra for more than 12 hours a day increases breast cancer risk by a factor of 6.Cotton stretchy bras without underwire allow more movement of the breasts, allowing better removal of toxins from the breasts by the lymphatic system.
• Know your Breasts - get to know your breasts with gentle massage when you apply body lotion after a daily bath or shower. Even better is applying castor oil externally on the breasts to increase lymphatic circulation, break down adhesions and increase immune cell activity in the tissues.) Being familiar with the feel of your breast tissue will help you be more comfortable and effective when you perform breast self-exams.
• Limit radiation exposure - Repeated X-ray exposures may increase the risk of breast cancer. Using Infrared Thermography as a screening tool is particularly useful for women in their 20's to 40's since mammography is not seen as being accurate in detecting breast cancer in this age group.
• Practice Self-Nurturance - The breasts symbolize nurturance. Many times women are so busy taking care of others that they forget to listen to their own needs.

In addition to these general guidelines, a Naturopathic Doctor can offer more specific recommendations and assessments based on your individual needs. Remember, it can take ten years for breast cancer to grow to a detectable size.

Breast Thermography provides a modern way to monitor breast health and provide early detection of abnormal tissue changes. Coupled with natural strategies to encourage healthy breast function, we can have a powerful program for breast health and comfort throughout our lives. There is no time like the present to take charge of your life, for the sake of you and your breasts.

Major Benefits of Thermography

• Timeliness - Problems can be found before abnormalities are seen on mammograms. Early detection provides the best outcomes.
• Inclusive - Examines the whole chest, breast and armpit areas. Good for all breast types: young/dense, fibrocystic, pregnancy, women on HRT, breast implants. Also can be used for men.
• Precise - Locates exact problem area allowing for more precise focus with other medical diagnostic tests: ultrasound, mammogram, MRI.
• No Risk - No harmful rays emitted so can be done as often as needed without risk.
• No Pain - No squeezing, no pressure, no touching by equipment or technician.

Need more information on Thermography?

Canadian locations at www.medthermonline.com

Technical information at www.thermascan.com

Forms to download in preparation for the                   Breast Thermography Clinic:
1_C007_Calgary_(Acadia)_no_dep.pdf
2_Preparation_techniques_ver10.pdf
3_Thermography_what_to_expect_ver11.pdf

Breast Exams without the Squeeze
by Dr. Patricia J. Wales, ND

Are you concerned about relying on breast self-examination? Do you worry about the discomfort and x-ray exposure involved in mammograms? Digital Infrared Breast Thermography is a sensitive, non-invasive method of effectively screening for early functional changes in breast tissue.

Co-founders Dr. Verna Hunt, DC, ND and Cathie Stewart of Medical Thermography International Inc. based in Toronto, are committed to making Breast Thermography available in communities across Canada. Dr. Hunt has been using Breast Thermography with her patients since 1995 and I asked her for details about this modern technique for making non-invasive and comfortable breast screening a reality.

What is Breast Thermography?

Breast Thermography is a medical diagnostic technique used extensively in France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Japan as a first step screening procedure. A digital infrared-sensing camera and high-speed computer are used to measure heat radiated from the breasts and adjacent areas. To distinguish normal from abnormal tissues, the hands are immersed in cold water to provide a cold challenge to the whole body and the scan is then repeated. Normal cells will show a decrease in heat production while cells with increased cellular activity (e.g. cancer cells) will maintain or increase their heat radiation. Highly skilled thermographers read the before-and-after-cold-challenge scans and establish a graded scale of response.

What can Thermography provide that Mammograms can't?

Because mammograms detect structural changes, a lump or mass is already present in breast tissue by the time a problem is detected. The next step is further investigation by ultrasound and/or biopsy to diagnose the nature of the lump or mass, and to make treatment decisions. At this point, it is usually too late to implement preventive strategies.

In comparison, Breast Thermography detects functional changes in breast tissue without radiation, compression, contact or needles. Unlike mammograms, thermography can be used for women of all ages and with all types of breast tissue: young, dense, pregnant, breastfeeding, pre- and post-menopausal, fibrocystic, with breast implants and when on HRT.

Breast Thermography is particularly useful during early phases of rapid tumour growth that is not yet detectable by clinical exam or mammogram. Thermography thus has the potential to detect problems five to eight years before abnormalities can be seen with mammograms. This early detection of abnormal tissue activity makes Breast Thermography extremely useful and cost-effective as a screening strategy. The non-invasive nature of thermography also allows for repeat scans. This improves the ability to compare changes over time and monitor the results of preventive strategies to protect breast tissue. A future article will outline these preventive strategies.

What can you expect during a Thermography Breast Scan?

• Preparation - After filling out a breast history form, you will be asked to undress to the waist in a private dressing room to allow your breasts to cool to room temperature (18-22 ^o C) for about 15 minutes.
• Scanning - You will be asked to stand about 10 feet in front of the camera with your arms over your head while three images are taken: front, right side and left side.
• Cold challenge - You will be asked to place both hands in cold water at 10° C for one minute.
• Rescanning - The three scans will be repeated.
• Reporting - The Thermography Breast Scans will be read and analyzed by Dr. Phil Hoekstra PhD of Detroit, a highly trained and skilled member of the American Board of Thermology.

What will the report tell you and your health care provider?

A full report with a color copy of your Thermography results will be sent to you and/or your health care provider by mail in approximately one month. The Marseille System of classification provides strict criteria for rating Breast Thermography scans. The scans are reported on a scale of TH-1 to TH-5.

• TH-1 - normal tissue
• TH-2 - some changes but normal response to cold challenge
• TH-3 - suspicious cell activity with higher heat areas
• TH-4 - abnormal cell activity
• TH-5 - severely abnormal cell activity.

Levels TH-1 and TH-2 provide reassurance that the tissue activity is normal and that the appropriate follow-up is a repeat screening by thermography in one year. Level TH-3 indicates that close monitoring and preventive therapies are needed. Levels TH-4 & TH-5 require immediate referral for ultrasound exam on the areas specifically located by the Breast Thermography.