***Medical Thermography in the 21st Century

In late 2004, Martin Stivers, CPT, CLET, SMII, along with an associate, Dr. Christopher Hussar, DDS, DO, began a study involving the latest thermal imaging technology available. A Midwestern company called Infrared Solutions had just brought a prototype camera to market. This patented new technology, known then as fusion imaging, had many applications in fields such as medicine, insurance, and law.

Infrared thermal imaging had evolved slowly through the 1970s and 1980s. In the mid-1990s, more rapid technical development occurred in parallel with the computer and Internet technology being fast-tracked by the U.S. Department of Defense for weaponry purposes. These developments brought infrared imaging into widespread use in other fields such as industry and manufacturing. Some medical applications were emerging, but at the time these were fairly limited in their scope and accuracy.

Even back then, the sensitivity of this early form of thermographic imaging in discovering thermal anomalies was in the 85th percentile, but nevertheless it was criticized by conventional radiologists for the following reasons:

* Unregulated equipment standards.
* Lack of consistent laboratory protocols.
* Lack of proper pre-thermal patient protocols.
* Lack of a knowledge-based testing procedure for accuracy and efficacy.
* Poorly designed software applications for medical applications.
* Inability to verify findings with accepted technologies such as:
* PET scan and nuclear resonance imaging
* X-ray mammography
* Sonogram and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Today these validation concerns are inconsistent with the medical literature. Over the past three decades, over 800 peer-reviewed papers have been presented in over 360,000 case reviews which are on file with the Index Medicus. Thermal imaging is one of the most documented medical modalities in America today.

The real issue seems to center around the fact that the medical economics of maintaining costly diagnostic imaging centers in hospital environments present priorities that differ from the goal of employing excellent technology for imaging human tissue.

Despite well-funded promotional campaigns and advertising, conventional mammography has not proven to have a significant benefit on the mortality rate of women being treated for breast cancer. Mammography has not changed substantially in over 30 years of heavy clinical use. Despite its popular acceptance, it has limited diagnostic value and has proven to be cumulatively carcinogenic to human tissue.

Thermographic Imaging Studies

In 2005, Mr. Stivers began investigations whose goals were to test the prototype thermographic camera that had just become available, and to establish credible medical applications with standardized and repeatable documentation.

These medical applications were developed by Dr. Christopher Hussar, an expert in the field of necrotic dental bone surgery and Lyme Disease. Both of Dr. Hussar's specialties presented complex, multi-factorial conditions that afforded many opportunities for a variety of patient symptoms.

An objective of the study was to determine the requirements for developing an affordable, non-radiological clinical imaging device. Such a device would have to be simple to operate and highly accurate, so its size and versatility would be important.

The study began with an investigation into the amount of thermal radiation that is absorbed by the human body from clinical and environmental sources. Observations were made on how thermal radiation is absorbed, processed, stored, and/or removed from the body.

Earlier in the 1990s, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had approved infrared thermal imaging as an adjunct modality for early breast cancer screening. At that time, thermal imaging had to be used in conjunction with either a confirming X-ray mammogram or an ultrasound. The team found that when all three of these diagnostic methods were used, the rate of discovery exceeded 95 percent. False positives were less than 5 percent.

In case histories dating from 2005 to 2010, this team performed nearly 900 thermograms for breast cancer screening. These images revealed numerous suspicious areas of the breast on patients. After confirmation by clinical biopsies, many of these were deemed to be a carcinoma. Conversely, there were no patients who were found to be clear of breast cancer who reported being diagnosed later with carcinoma using any other breast screening modality, including biopsy.

They attribute these highly accurate findings to the fact that strict pre-test protocols were used in the patient populations. Careful standardizing of thermal gradients before and during examination were established, and these permitted consistent, clear, and reproducible results.

Medical diagnosis with thermal imaging requires accuracy in focusing the camera on the subject. Technicians are now well-trained to provide clear and properly positioned images.

When thermographic images are received, a physician identifies and quantifies all abnormalities and signs of disease. As with any diagnostic imaging, the experience and training of the interpreting physician improves over time. The excellent results demonstrated the experience and skill of the interpreting doctors as well as the reliability of the technology.

Many earlier applications of thermography were for industrial and military purposes, and they were useful and fascinating in that context. Most other breast screening thermography is processed and interpreted by software which has been designed and provided by the camera manufacturer. However, medical applications require far more complex and sensitive interpretations, so these excellent results are attributable to the combination of unique software and skilled medical professionals.

Why Patients and Staff Want Thermal Imaging Services

Today, about half of all breast thermography centers are operated by practicing chiropractic doctors or their staff. Two of the leading authorities on the West Coast in digital infrared thermography are doctors of chiropractic medicine. Thermographic imaging adds significant value to many medical modalities because of its ability to provide real-time diagnostic information that is quick, accurate, and non-invasive.

While this article has focused on breast cancer screening, thermography can visualize any condition affecting the circulatory systems of blood and lymphatic flow and the autonomic nervous system. Since inflammation is involved in most cases of medical trauma, being able to see the path, intensity, and pattern of the inflammation can assist the doctor in assessing the stage and course of the healing process. Seeing pain for the first time in living color and being able to visually show the patient the cause of what they feel is a psychological boost that helps build rapport and trust between the physician and patient, which is healing in and of itself.

Because diagnostic imaging in general needs to become more cost-effective and physician/patient-friendly, we can expect to hear more about thermal imaging in times to come.

Adding medical thermography to a practice or clinic enhances its revenue stream by offering another service that extends beyond the standard breast screening modalities. The day-to-day availability of an in-house screening capability has never before been available to small and medium-size practices without the investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and training. Visit us online here:
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/cancer/thermography.htm

For doctors who are interested in these imaging systems for their practice or as a referral service for complex cases, Mr. Stivers can be contacted at http://thermogramexam.com/

For those who are interested in having a case interpreted by a licensed naturopathic physician who is able to coordinate diagnostic information, Dr. Lee can be contacted through his website at http://www.naturodoc.com.