Feasibility of thermal infrared imaging screening for breast cancer in rural communities of Southern Mexico: The experience of the Centro de Estudios y Prevencion del Cancer (CEPREC)

1521 Background: Breast cancer is the second cause of death from cancer among Mexican women but the incidence continues to rise mainly in rural communities. However, among women older than 50 years, only 7% of them report having had a mammogram because of insufficient number of mammography equipment and trained health care professionals. Mammography has limitation in sensitivity and specificity greater than 70 % and greater than 80 %, respectively. Breast thermography is a noncontact, noninvasive technique and easy to use outside hospitals. We propose to evaluate the feasibility of thermal infrared imaging as screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. Methods: Between November 2006 and December 2008, women were offered clinical breast examination (CBE) followed by breast thermography and mammography, and biopsy if indicated. Thermal infrared imaging was obtained by using an infrared camera (DL-700; 320*240 UFPA, Zhejiang Dali Technology Co., Ltd.). Infrared imaging was performed in a controlled environment with temperature and humidity maintained between 18 ºC and 23 ºC. Breast thermography diagnosis was established according to Hobbins criteria where TH1 to TH5 are equivalent to BI-RADS I to V (Intermer J of Rad 1987;12:337). CBE and breast thermography were correlated with mammography and histologic diagnosis. Results: Nine hundred and eleven (100%) women (median age 44 years, range 15–83) were evaluated. Five hundred and three (55%) of them were older than 40 years, 137 (15%) were between 35 and 39 years. Cancer was diagnosed in 14 (3%) and 2 (1.4%) women, respectively. Overall cancer was diagnosed in 16 (2.5 %) out of 640 women older 35 years. Among 116 (13%) women between 30 and 34 years, cancer was found in 1 (0.8 %) patient. Cancer was not found among 155 (17%) women between 15 and 29 years. Conclusions: In this study cancer was diagnosed in 1.8 % of women by using breast thermography. Thermal infrared imaging allows to select patients who could require further work-up. Breast thermography emerges as a potential screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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Feasibility of New-generation Infrared Imaging Screening for Breast Cancer in Rural Communities

Oncology & Hematology Review (US) ◽

10.17925/ohr.2010.06.0.60 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 06 ◽

pp. 60

Author(s):

Francisco Gutierrez-Delgado ◽

José Guadalupe Vázquez-Luna ◽

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Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Early Detection ◽

Early Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Detection ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Breast Cancer Detection ◽

Southern Mexico ◽

Breast Thermography ◽

New Generation

Breast cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. Important advances have improved survival, but early detection remains the main clinical challenge in reducing mortality. Currently, mammography is the ‘gold standard’ tool for breast cancer screening. However, the search for an early breast cancer detection method is the subject of extensive research. Although infrared imaging or breast thermography for early breast cancer detection has been evaluated since the late 1950s, the negative results reported in 1979 by the Breast Cancer Detection and Demonstration Project decreased interest in this imaging modality. Advances in infrared imaging and reduced equipment costs have, however, renewed interest in breast thermography. Breast cancer in developing countries requires new strategies to increase early detection and access to care. In this article, we highlight the principles and advances of infrared imaging technology and describe our experience with new-generation infrared imaging for early breast cancer detection in rural communities in southern Mexico.

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The Evolution of New Trends in Breast Thermography

Biomedical Computing for Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis - Advances in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3456-4.ch007 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 128-171

Author(s):

Marcus Costa de Araújo ◽

Luciete Alves Bezerra ◽

Kamila Fernanda Ferreira da Cunha Queiroz ◽

Nadja A. Espíndola ◽

Ladjane Coelho dos Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Early Detection ◽

Infrared Radiation ◽

Infrared Imaging ◽

Imaging Technique ◽

Medical Applications ◽

Breast Thermography ◽

Radiation Theory ◽

Theoretical Foundations

In this chapter, the theoretical foundations of infrared radiation theory and the principles of the infrared imaging technique are presented. The use of infrared (IR) images has increased recently, especially due to the refinement and portability of thermographic cameras. As a result, this type of camera can be used for various medical applications. In this context, the use of IR images is proposed as an auxiliary tool for detecting disease and monitoring, especially for the early detection of breast cancer.

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