Phil Hoekstra, PH.D
Why is Medical-grade Breast Thermology ( MGBT) important for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and women who are concerned about their breast health?
MGBT can evaluate women with a diagnosis of breast cancer for additional sites of disease that require treatment. MGBT can also evaluate the effectiveness of adjunctive (non-surgical & non-traditional chemotherapy) means of treatment for breast cancer.
MGBT is effective for:
• Women of all ages.
• Women with dense breast, fibrocystic disease, women with large or small breasts, pregnant or nursing women and women with breast implant(s) and those who have had breast reduction.
• Detecting Ductal, Lobular and Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).
What are the benefits of MGBT?
MGBT is:
• Oftentimes able to provide the first indication of breast cancer after treatment.
• Completely passive (no radiation or magnetism) and involves no physical contact with technicians or equipment.
• Completely compression free and does not use any injected dyes.
• No physician referral needed.
• Effective for women of all ages and isn’t compromised by dense breasts, fibrocystic disease, breast size, breast implants or breast reductions.
• The least expensive means of screening for breast cancer.
What is Medical-Grade Thermography?
Medical-grade Breast Thermography (MGBT) is the process of obtaining highly detailed and sensitive infrared images of the human body. Those images are then analyzed and reported by a Board-Certified medical specialist using a scientific method. Be aware that not all providers of breast thermography provide Medical-Grade Breast Thermography.
Medical-grade thermography is oftentimes referred to as thermology, digital infrared imaging, diagnostic infrared imaging, infrared mammography or tele-thermology. It involves the use of a highly resolute and sensitive infrared (thermographic) camera. Medical-grade thermography offers a safe, non-invasive procedure that evaluates the levels, patterns and behavior of the skin’s temperature.
• Thermography is accepted by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services as an adjunctive diagnostic procedure for breast disease.
• Medical-grade breast thermography (MGBT) is derived from more than sixty (60) years of extensive clinical development and has a sound basis in medical science.
• Medical-grade breast thermography (MGBT) evaluates tissue function and is distinctly different from structure-based diagnostic methods, such as X-ray mammography, MRI and ultrasound.
The process for professional medical-grade breast thermography (MGBT)screening takes only minutes. A special infrared camera takes images of the bare breast or breast area and the images taken provide valuable data for thermologist to evaluate for further diagnostic testing. No technician or equipment comes in contact with the client. More details about MGBT screening are available at thermascan.com.
Why do you need both mammography and MGBT?
Outcome studies of the large-scale mammography screening programs have proven that mammography by itself doesn’t provide effective screening for women before menopause, women with dense breast tissue or women with fibrocystic disease.
Moreover, screening mammography has resulted in problems with the ‘over-diagnosis’ of breast cancer that has resulted in a great deal of unnecessary, expensive and dangerous treatment. Evaluation of mammography is based on tissue structure. Mammography can provide specific locations for biopsy (tissue sampling) for an actual diagnosis of breast cancer.
MGBT can provide an effective screening for women for whom mammography isn’t effective. MGBT is based upon tissue function and complements mammography, ultrasound and MRI by its ability to indicate breast cancer in a completely different manner. MGBT can indicate the relative aggressiveness of breast cancer and off-set the over-diagnosis issue of mammography. MGBT can’t locate a suspicious breast cancer with sufficient precision to perform a biopsy (tissue sampling).
You and your medical team will be relieved to know that MGBT:
• Is based on tissue function (physiologic) rather than tissue structure (anatomic).
• Can indicate breast cancer at its earliest stages which oftentimes enables the best options for successful treatment.
• Can indicate the more aggressive types of breast cancer that need more aggressive treatment.
• Has a diagnostic sensitivity of approximately 95% and a diagnostic specificity of approximately 90%.
How often is MGBT screening recommended?
• Most women only need annual screening and most women should begin routine thermography screening in their early 30’s.
• Women at higher risk for breast cancer (by familial or personal risk factors) may need to begin screening at younger ages and shorter intervals.
• Women with equivocal results of other means of screening or prior MGBT usually require more frequent and multi-modality screening.
• Women already treated for breast cancer also need more frequent screening against the possibility of persistent or recurrent disease.
Is MGBT covered by insurance?
There are insurance codes for MGBT but at this time no known insurance companies are covering the costs. This investment for your life can be provided through your health savings account or through personal crowdfunding or as a special gift to yourself.
Just about everyone reading this article has a direct experience with breast cancer that has given them personal knowledge. All knowledge comes with a teaching obligation that, in this instance, can benefit and even save the lives of our friends and family. Discover more about MGBT by visiting http://www.thermascan.com.
Please talk to your doctor, friends and family about MGBT and the importance of effective early detection. Feel empowered to insist on the benefits of MGBT from your doctors and medical institutions. And don’t forget to be the example by benefiting yourself of this important diagnostic tool!
Therma-Scan™ Reference Laboratory is the world’s premier source of MGBT and is the central location that quality providers send all images for evaluation.
Please note that not all thermographers are medical-grade thermographers; both consumers and physicians need to be aware of these distinctions. Detailed information about the history, professional equipment, clinical indications and standardized analysis for consumers and professionals and the science and principles of MGBT can be found on Therma-Scan’s website: http://thermascan.com.
About Therma-Scan
With more than four decades of experience with thermal imaging Therma-ScanTM was founded in 1972 by Phil Hoekstra, PhD. and his late father. Therma-Scan is located near Detroit Michigan and is the world’s premier source for the analysis and reporting of medical thermology.
Therma-Scan’s commitment to innovation, integrality and the highest ethical, technical and professional standards in the practice of diagnostic infrared imaging has evolved into Therma-Scan being the most experienced and accomplished provider of medical thermology in the world. Dr. Hoekstra is proficient and certified by the American Board of Thermology in oncology, neuroscience and vascular thermology. Dr. Hoekstra has combined these abilities in each of the sub-specialties to develop a dynamic (Cold) challenge as a powerful component of a quantitative analytic system for the earliest indication of breast cancer. In a practical sense, Therma-Scan invented medical thermology.
In an absolute sense, Therma-Scan invented the reference laboratory for medical thermology in 1975. They have analyzed and reported more than one million patient studies for more than forty network partners worldwide, all using medical-grade digital infrared cameras and imaging technique according to rigorous standards.
Therma-ScanTM is medical grade. All stages of data transmission and storage are compliant with HIPPA regulations.
