Comments on: Thermograms versus Mammograms: Which test is best?

By: Dr. Cate

Dr. Cate — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:55:18 +0000

HI Lisa
No updates on mammograms, but there is great new evidence that low carb diets are protective against cancer, including breast cancer.

I still think the decision of how often needs to be made on a one-to-one basis in a discussion with your health provider while taking into account your family history, your history of breast health/usage, your risk factors ie smoking and other environmental toxic exposures like drugs, and of course your diet.

Most of the controversy around mammography continues to be about frequency; should they be every year, every other year, less than that? The idea is to minimize radiation exposure to the coronary arteries while finding cancers, but not too many cancers because according to a Cochrane review a good percentage of cancers regress on their own.

More on that here: http://drcate.com/can-cancer-go-away-without-treatment/
and here: http://drcate.com/papillary-thyroid-cancer-more-common-than-you-think/

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:40:22 +0000

Hi Dr. Cate,
I’m curious if you have any updates on this issue since you posted this in 2009. I keep reading on some health blogs how harmful mammograms can be and am so confused about this issue.
At what age are you recommending your patients to start mammograms?
Also are you seeing epigenetic trends for those that are getting breast cancer (for example high sugar diets, toxin exposures etc…)?
Thanks!

By: Catey

Catey — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:54:32 +0000

There is a growing concern that a given radiation dosage to a young woman’s breast is more mutagenic than to a post-menopausal breast, and a recent article has proposed that our practice of irradiating young women with family histories of breast cancer might actually have caused cancer in some cases. I’m not sure we can say that mammograms are the leading cause of breast cancer, however, when there are unfortunately so many other toxic exposures all around us.

By: Esp Ghia

Esp Ghia — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:49:05 +0000

According to an increasing number of experts, mammograms are the leading cause of breast cancer…within a few years from now there will be a proliferation of law suits regarding this matter.

By: Virginia Beck

Virginia Beck — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:01:53 +0000

I like the gentle way you divert attention back to mammograms.
The problem with thermograms is just that, they are FDA approved ONLY as a supplement to a mmmg, but folks rely on them for primary screening.

My main gripe is that when people bad mouth mammograms and say that they expose us to too much ionizing radiation…they forget that it is the same amount we receive in a cross country jet flight, or a year of living in Colorado, due to altitude and mountains….

I came looking for more info on your books which I will buy!!

Thanks for all you do to keep us healthy! Congratulations on another fine book. VB
Thanks for all your efforts on promoting a healthful lifestyle.

By: Catey

Catey — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:07:17 +0000

Brent,
This is helpful information. If I read right, you are saying thermography is unable to detect lesions that don’t disrupt surface blood flow so you would do them in conjunction with mammograms. A very good point, and thank you.

By: Brent

Brent — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:48:35 +0000

As an thermographer I believe that theromgraphy is a great way for early detection, but I also believe that mammograms should also be used. I believe that early detection on the surface with a thermogram can be detected but looking for deep cancer cells should be done with mammograms. It is a technology that can help but not used by itself.