Proactive Screening for Women under 50: Thermography is a powerful tool in early breast cancer detection and more, says Lenna Shepard.

The science behind early breast cancer detection has been evolving, and innovative technology and testing has provided women with options for taking a proactive approach to breast health. Non-invasive digital scanning provides women with an additional and comprehensive approach to complete breast health awareness. Mammography has been the standard diagnostic breast imaging tool that uses X-rays to detect early cancerous changes in the breast. Digital breast thermography is a testing measure that can be used for breast screening for women seeking an alternative. A University of Wisconsin study has shown that 70 percent of tumors can be identified on a thermogram eight to 10 years prior to a mammogram.

Thermography is a painless, radiation-free, state-of-the art screening procedure that uses heat detection to locate areas of temperature differences in the body. Most pathological processes demonstrate a form of increased heat while some neurological processes show excessive cold, or hypothermia. Breast disease can be detected by looking for areas of excessive or increasing heat that may indicate areas of angiogenesis, or increase of blood vessels, for a growing tumor. This finely tuned technology can find abnormalities in human wellness long before the body's sensory organs can identify them.

There have been more than 800 articles on medical thermography published in peer-reviewed journals. These articles discuss heart disease, dental thermography, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, cerebral vascular screening with thermography and many more applications.

More than 200,000 cases of breast cancer are reported annually in women under 40, yet this population has not been typically screened by the traditional breast cancer mammography. When cancer strikes younger women, it is usually a more aggressive form and is less likely to respond to treatment. With breast tissue being much more susceptible to the radiation of a mammogram under the age of 50, thermography is an ideal test for this age group, because it is a radiation-free procedure.

Lenna Shepard is a certified thermography technician, member of Breast Thermography International, licensed skin care specialist, certified oncology esthetician and colon hydrotherapist certified for lymphatic enhancement therapy at the American Center For Natural Medicine, in Scottsdale. Shepard is offering $50 off any scan through Oct. 31.