Key points
- Thermography is a technology that records heat distribution in the breast to diagnose cancer.
- It is not supported as a breast screening or diagnostic tool.
- Thermography has a lower sensitivity and specificity than mammograms and cannot be used to diagnose breast cancer. Read a comparison of these technologies.
- Read this position statement on the use of thermography
What is thermography?
Thermography is a technique that uses a thermal camera to record heat distribution in the breast. It is based on the theory that blood flow and metabolism are increased around a malignant tumour, causing a measurable rise in skin temperature. However, heat recordings can be influenced by a number of factors, such as large breast size, infection and hormonal changes in young women.
Thermography is not used anywhere in the world on a breast screening programme, and is not supported by medical organisations in New Zealand. Thermography cannot diagnose breast cancer and does not replace mammograms as a diagnostic tool.
Concerns about thermography
While thermography has been promoted as a breast screening tool that doesn’t use radiation, it is unable to reliably detect small cancers or tumours deep in the breast tissue. It also has a low sensitivity and specificity compared to mammograms.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, the National Screening Unit, the Cancer Society of New Zealand and The New Zealand Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists released a position statement against the use of thermography as a breast screening or diagnostic tool. Read the position statement here.
