Unreliable Breast Thermography Marketed Despite Warnings
many women seek painless, radiation-free alternatives to mammography, and some are turning to medical thermography – a breast examination using infrared imaging. However,despite it’s appeal,thermography has not been proven effective in detecting breast cancer and is being promoted in a perhaps misleading manner,according to an inquiry by Follow the Money.
Mammography, while the standard screening method involving breast compression and X-rays, can be uncomfortable. Data from a citizens’ initiative indicates that roughly one in five women experience pain during a mammogram, with 5% reporting extreme pain. This discomfort drives some women to explore alternative screening options like thermography.
The danger lies in relying on thermography as a substitute for proven methods. Follow the money‘s research into ten providers revealed practices that skirt regulations designed to protect patients. While providers generally avoid explicitly claiming thermography detects cancer, their marketing and consultations strongly imply its effectiveness.
This concern isn’t new. As far back as 2016,the Healthcare and Youth inspectorate cautioned that thermography is frequently presented in a misleading way. Some clinics even require patients to sign waivers acknowledging thermography isn’t a replacement for mammography,yet together gather facts about family history and assign “risk scores” – actions that suggest a diagnostic capability the procedure doesn’t possess.
Health authorities maintain that only screening methods with demonstrated effectiveness should be utilized. Thermography does not meet this standard and its promotion as a screening tool is prohibited. Women who choose thermography instead of mammography risk delayed diagnosis and potentially poorer outcomes.
