Some breast screenings are still leaving women at risk, experts say

Despite a crackdown on faulty thermography treatments, experts are now raising concern as multiple sites have popped up.

Various sites across the country are offering thermography which claims to detect heat changes in the bodies tissue and can diagnose cancer.  However, health experts refute these claims saying that it won’t work for everyone.

In 2011, a number of thermography businesses were forced to shut down, and others had to remove claims from their websites after research debunked their claims.  The co-author of the research paper Terry Slevin told The Daily Telegraph, “At the very minimum, women have wasted their money, and at the maximum, they’ve taken the risk of believing a test that does not have the ability to detect the presence of cancer”.

Terry continued, “There is the possibility that they could have cancer but go away feeling reassured. There’s the prospect of the cancer turning up at a more ­advanced stage further down the track.”

The service usually costs around $300 and claims that to be less painful than a mammogram and uses the fact that it doesn’t use radiation as a selling point.  While it may appear the better or at least, the simpler option, Cancer Council NSW is still urging women not to use it and instead use proper mammogram services.

Many online say that this is a potentially lifesaving service and valuable service that should be allowed to be an option.  In some opinions, it’s a better option than traditional mammograms.

In all cases, you should always consult with your doctor before deciding what option is best for you.

Have you had much experience with thermography?  Have you used these services and had a positive experience?