All About Thermography
DITI- (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging or Thermography) is a non- invasive diagnostic technique that allows the examiner to visualise and quantify changes in skin surface temperature. An infrared scanning device is used to convert infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface into electircal impulses that are visualised in color on a monitor. This visual image graphically maps the body temperature and is referred to as a thermogram. DITI’s role in breast cancer and other breast disorders is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology and the establishment of risk factors for the development or existence of cancer. When used with other procedures, the best possible evaluation of breast health is made.
This 15 minute non-invasive test is a valuable procedure for alerting your GP or specialist to the possibility of underlying breast disease. This test is designed to improve chances for detecting fast-growing, active tumors in the intervals between mammographic screenings or when mammography is not indicated by screening guidelines for women under 50 years of age. All patient’s thermograms (breast images) are kept on record and form a baseline for all future routine evaluations.
DITI is especially appropriate for younger women between 30 and 50 whose denser breast tissue makes it more difficult for mammography to pick up suspicious lesions. This test can provide a ‘clinical marker’ to the doctor or mammographer that a specific area of the breast needs particularly close examination. The faster a malignant tumor grows, the more infrared radiation it generates. For younger women in particular, results from DITI screening can lead to earlier detection and ultimately, longer life.