Breast Thermography

Gentle, radiation‑free imaging that brings clarity to your health for proactive care or to help you get on the mend.

thermography imaging of breasts anterior
thermography inflammatory breast cancer
thermography image of right breast with thermal activity
BREAST THERMOGRAM

About Breast Thermography

Breast thermography is a non‑invasive, radiation‑free imaging technology that measures the heat patterns and blood‑flow activity in breast tissue. Instead of looking for structural changes like a lump, thermography detects physiological changes—inflammation, vascular activity, and early functional shifts that often appear long before anatomy changes.

There is no touching, no compression, and no discomfort. All breast scans at Mend are performed by a female certified clinical thermographer in a calm, private environment.

Thermography creates a detailed map of your unique breast thermal fingerprint. This pattern is stable when your breast tissue is healthy and only changes when something in the physiology begins to shift. That’s why thermography is a powerful tool for early insight, proactive monitoring, and long‑term breast health awareness.

About Breast Thermography

Breast thermography is a non‑invasive, radiation‑free imaging technology that measures the heat patterns and blood‑flow activity in breast tissue. Instead of looking for structural changes like a lump, thermography detects physiological changes—inflammation, vascular activity, and early functional shifts that often appear long before anatomy changes.

There is no touching, no compression, and no discomfort. All breast scans at Mend are performed by a female certified clinical thermographer in a calm, private environment.

Thermography creates a detailed map of your unique breast thermal fingerprint. This pattern is stable when your breast tissue is healthy and only changes when something in the physiology begins to shift. That’s why thermography is a powerful tool for early insight, proactive monitoring, and long‑term breast health awareness.

BREAST THERMOGRAM

What to Expect Your First Year

In your first year, you will have two scans performed 90-days apart.

Your first thermogram creates your baseline—your unique thermal fingerprint. This pattern stays stable unless a physiological change is developing.

A second scan 90 days later is essential. Without it, there’s no way to know whether your thermal pattern is stable or changing. The 90‑day window matters because active cancer cells typically double about every 90 days, making this the earliest opportunity to detect meaningful change.

If your 90-day follow-up is considered stable, typically annual screenings are recommended. If concerns are found, the interpreting physician will provide a recommended time frame for your next scan.

thermography camera

Breast thermography screens for indications of:

Tumors

Abnormal tissue growths that thermography can flag through their distinct heat signatures.

Angiogenesis

The formation of new blood vessels that can feed abnormal tissue growth and signal early disease activity.

Inflammatory Disease

An aggressive and often misdiagnosed condition characterized by rapid onset redness, swelling, and warmth.

Fibrocystic & Cystic Breasts

Common conditions marked by lumpy, irregular tissue that can cause pain and tenderness.

Lymphatic Congestion

A slowdown in lymphatic flow that can compromise the body’s ability to clear waste from breast tissue.

General Inflammation

Widespread inflammatory activity in breast tissue that may signal an underlying health concern.

Note: you must wait 3 months after pregnancy, nursing, major breast surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment before having a breast scan, and at least 1 month after a biopsy or minor surgery, such as mole removal, for results to be accurate.

Breast Thermography Pricing

Thermography is not covered by any insurance companies. We accept cash, check, all major credit cards, FSA/HSA cards.

Initial Breast Thermogram

Includes breast intake and imaging, same-day in-office image review, physician interpreted report, & preventative breast health e-book.

$175
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90-day & Yearly Follow-up

Includes breast imaging, same-day in-office image review, physician interpreted report. Images will be compared to prior screenings.

$160
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Upgrade to half or full body

A full breast series is included in half body and full body scans. Learn more about these scan options and pricing:

half body full body

Preparing for your Breast Scan

  • For 24 hours prior to your scan – avoid heavy exercise, acupuncture, massage, sauna or steam rooms.
  • For 2 hours prior to your scan – avoid exercise and very hot or cold showering. Do not shave under your arms or use deodorant, skin creams or lotion in the areas to be imaged. Avoid sun exposure the day of the test. For best result, you should not have had a sun burn or have used a tanning booth within a week of your test.
  • Please wear loose fitting clothing the day of your scan. Your scan will be delayed until irritation marks from tight fitting clothing have dissipated.
  • No changes in diet or medication are necessary.
oblique breast thermogram
oblique breast thermogram
anterior breast thermogram
lateral breast thermogram
lateral breast thermogram

What to Expect During Your Scan

  • Your appointment will take approximately 30 minutes.
  • You will be asked to remove all upper body clothing and jewelry. We will supply you with a lightweight cover to wear for privacy while you acclimate to the room’s temperature.
  • Prior to your scan, we will review your intake form with you. Please be sure to inform us of any recent skin lesions on your breasts that may affect the results.
  • Thermal images of the breasts and surrounding areas will then be taken.
  • Following your scan, we will review your images with you and answer any questions you may have.
  • Your scans will be sent to a physician for interpretation. Reports are normally back within 3 business days.

 

Breast Thermography: 
A Review of the Research

  • In 1982, the FDA approved breast thermography as an adjunctive breast cancer screening procedure.
  • Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the 1950s, with over 800 peer-reviewed studies in the index-medicus literature. These studies have evaluated more than 300,000 women (large studies comprising over 85k women), and followed for up to 12 years.
  • Breast thermography has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%.
  • An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease.
  • A persistent abnormal thermogram carries with it a 22x higher risk of future breast cancer.
  • An abnormal infrared image is the single most important marker of high risk for developing breast cancer.
  • Breast thermography has the ability to detect the first signs that a cancer may be forming up to 10 years before any other procedure can detect it.

Please note: It is important to remember that no test is 100% accurate. For this reason, we suggest a multifaceted approach to monitoring your breast health. As a reminder, thermography and mammography are detection methods and are NOT diagnostic tests for breast cancer. Only a biopsy can diagnose breast cancer. 

mammogram & thermogram difference

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Have questions about Breast Thermography?

Because thermography can show changes in the breast 8-10 years prior to tumor formation, it is best to establish a breast health baseline by your mid-20s. Breast scans should not be performed prior to age 23. If stable after the establishment of your baseline, you may only need scans every few years to monitor for changes. After your 30th birthday, it is recommended to begin annual scans.

Each individual has a different thermographic pattern (‘thermal fingerprint’); therefore, It is very important to establish your baseline. Your first thermogram is considered your baseline. Cancer cells typically double after 90 days, so your 3-month follow-up looks for any thermal changes from your baseline that may indicate a developing breast disease. If you do not establish a baseline, we have no idea if your thermal pattern is normal or changing at the time of your first exam.

No, only a biopsy can diagnosis cancer.

Simply put, thermography looks at physiology, whereas, mammography looks at anatomy. With thermography, we can often see changes in the breast occur 8-10 years before a tumor forms. A mammogram can only pickup a tumor once it is present. There are many other differences between the two, which you can view in our graphic above.

Thermography is a physiological assessment of the breast; mammograms/ultrasounds/MRIs are anatomical assessments of the breast. Meaning, one test is not a replacement for another since they evaluate the breasts differently. For a comprehensive breast screening, both an anatomical and physiological test together are encouraged. At this time, mammograms remain the standard of care recommendation for breast screening and choosing to opt out of a mammogram should only be done after a careful and thorough discussion with your primary care provider.

Yes! Unlike mammography, dense breast tissue does not affect/hinder thermograms.

Yes! Thermography is great for individuals with implants. You can easily be scanned without any risk of rupturing the implants, and as a bonus, thermography may evaluate the integrity of your implants!

Thermography is safe during pregnancy and directly following; however, due to the change in hormones during pregnancy/breastfeeding, breast scans are likely to show changes. It is best to have a breast scan at least 3 months after stopping lactation/breast feeding. Other areas of the body CAN be scanned safely and accurately.

Yes! Due to the change in hormones and trauma to breast tissues, it is recommended to wait at least 3 months after breast surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation to have a breast thermogram. Following a breast biopsy, please wait 1 month. Other areas of the body CAN be scanned safely and accurately. Women at high risk for breast disease may be recommended to have a thermogram every 3, 6, or 9 months to closely monitor for thermographic changes.