October is
Breast Cancer Awareness month, but instead of thinking about cancer, why not
think about how to have healthy breasts? Women are encouraged to get a
mammogram so they can find their breast cancer as early as possible, but
instead of early detection, being proactive and identifying risk factors allows
plans to be put into action to improve the health of the breast and even
reverse developing pathology. This is prevention—not just early detection.
Mammograms
image the structure of the breast and thermography images the physiology (e.g.,
an X-ray of the heart shows its size and location in the chest whereas an EKG shows
the function of the heart). Thermography “shows” the function of the breasts
and how healthy they are. Mammograms are after the fact—they can only see what
is already there. They can identify a mass, if it is large enough, but cannot
distinguish the difference between a benign lump and a cancerous tumor.
A
tumor must be fed by blood vessels and that vascular formation starts many
years before the tumor begins to grow. The vascular feed produces heat which
can be seen with thermal imaging. This is an indication that either the body is
preparing to produce a cancerous tumor or the mass that is present is most
likely cancerous.
There
is a large margin between healthy breasts and breast cancer and it’s helpful to
know where one falls within that spectrum. There are many factors that can contribute
to unhealthy breasts, including dense and fibrocystic breasts, calcifications,
lymph congestion, inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, hormone imbalances and
more, which can contribute to dis-ease and a possible unfavorable diagnosis
down the road.
Thermography
tells how healthy the breasts are instead of just screening for breast cancer.
It also has the potential to truly detect breast cell anomalies long before
mammography can detect cancer. This allows one to implement lifestyle changes
that can improve the health of the breasts proactively instead of waiting for a
cancer diagnosis later.
It's
important to know what's happening in order to make positive changes to
increase breast health. Thermography is an excellent tool for one’s self and
one’s healthcare practitioner to help identify specific challenges and then
monitor the results of the changes made.
There are many things to do to avoid
breast cancer, and knowing the risk factors is at the top of the list. With
proper risk assessment which includes different testing modalities, the patient
is able to determine her risk factors and develop an action plan on how to
improve the breast tissue and/or even reverse any existing developments. Knowledge is power!
June Drennon is a certified clinical thermographer
(since 2008) and owned a clinic in the wellness field for 15 years (with
certifications in Colon Hydrotherapy and Electro-Lymphatic Drainage Therapy).
She is passionate about working with men and women who care about the state of
their health and believes prevention is better than detection. For more information and appointments, contact Florida
Medical Thermography at 727-729-2711, email [email protected] and/or visit FloridaMedicalThermography.com.
