QUESTIONS
What isthermal imaging used for?
Does it hurt to have a scan taken?
What is different about your type of thermography compared to others ?
How long will the appointment take?
How can I make an appointment?
Do I need a referral or prior authorization?
How far in advance should I schedule an appointment?
Can friends or partners come to the visit?
How will I get my report for the scan?
Who evaluates my scan?
Can you E-mail my report to me?
Will my insurance cover the infrared procedure/ test and the office visits?
How much does Digital Infrared Imaging cost?
Do you take credit cards?
Will a Thermographic scan tell me if I have cancer ?
Is breast Thermography safe, even for pregnant or nursing women?
Is Digital Infrared Imaging (Thermography) an approved procedure?
Does Digital Infrared Imaging replace mammograms?
What are the advantages of Thermographic Imaging?
How does Breast Thermography compare to a Mammogram?
How often should I have Breast Thermography?
I have a history of breast cancer, will Thermography be helpful?
Can Thermography be used for other conditions?
What parts of the body can be scanned?
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What isthermal imaging used for?
* To help in determining the cause of pain.
* To aid in the early detection of disease and pathology.
* To evaluate sensory-nerve irritation or significant soft-tissue injury.
* To define a previously diagnosed injury or condition.
* To identify an abnormal area for further diagnostic testing.
* To follow progress of healing and rehabilitation.
Does it hurt to have a scan taken?
No. There is no contact with the body or painful breast compression.
What is different about your type of thermography compared to others ?
The scanner we use is a Class I, FDA medical device. Most of the scanners used at other clinics are industrial devices that have been modified for clinical use but are not FDA Class I, medical devices. Our scanner is specifically calibrated to read body temperatures to within 1/100 of a degree and records over 80,000 temperatures with each image. Most other clinics will tell you that thermography was approved by the FDA for use as an adjunctive breast cancer screening procedure in 1982. This was published in the Federal Register: Vol.147, No.20, pp.4419-4420, Jan.29,1982. This is true but it is important to ask them to provide you with a copy of the documentation that shows that the scanner they are using is a FDA, Class 1, medical device. If they do not know what you are talking about, more than likely the scanner they are using is NOT an FDA, Class 1, medical device. A copy of the FDA documentation showing our status as a Class 1, medical device is available on request.
How long will the appointment take?
A thermography scan appointment will typically take 20-30 minutes.
How can I make an appointment?
Call our office at (505) 271-6608 anytime between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, to make an appointment.
Do I need a referral or prior authorization?
No you do not need a referral. Most patients come to us referred by practitioners, but we do not require a referral for the scan.
How far in advance should I schedule an appointment?
We can usually get you in for a scan within two weeks from the time you call. If it is more urgent we will do our best to accommodate your time schedule.
Can friends or partners come to the visit?
If you have a friend or partner who would like to accompany you to the appointment, they are welcome to be present. You will be in a climate controlled room kept between 68 and 72 degrees and temperatures vary with the seasons, so depending upon the conditions they may be able to watch the exam but that is a judgment call by the technician. In any case, your friend or partner will be allowed to be present while we review the images with you, if you so choose.
How will I get my report for the scan?
Your report will be mailed to you usually within 48 hours of the day of the scan. Most patients find the report self explanatory but if you would like, Dr. Garcia will review the results with you over the phone for a consultation fee of $30 for 10 minutes, or $50 for twenty minutes.
Who evaluates my scan?
All of our images are interpreted by MDs specifically trained in thermographic interpretation and certified by the only non-profit thermography medical board in the United States. The M.D. will write the report and send it to us, usually within 48 hours. We will mail your report to you on the same day we receive it. Our technicians are trained by the American College of Clinical Thermology, at Duke University.
Can you E-mail my report to me?
Due to HIPPA regulations we are not allowed to transmit your report over the internet without your written approval. It is quicker to send your report through the postal service but if you need to receive your report via email we can get your written approval at the time of your appointment.
Will my insurance cover the infrared procedure/ test and the office visits?
At the present time, some insurance companies cover the procedure, while others do not. You are given a receipt for your visit, which can be used as a medical expense for your taxes. Our policy is to receive payment in full for the infrared thermogram at the time of service and we can provide you with the paperwork necessary for you to submit the bill to your insurance company for possible reimbursement in the form of a super bill for the procedure portion of the infrared scan.
How much does Digital Infrared Imaging cost?
The costs are as follows: Breast Scan(5 views) - $195, Half Body Scan(10 Views) - $275, Full Body Scan (15 views including breast views) - $350. A 10-minute phone consultation is $30. A 20-minute phone consultation is $50. If you do not have the ability to pay for a screening, our clinic is credentialed with the United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF) a non – profit organization. Please contact us to receive more information about the foundation.
Do you take credit cards?
Yes. We accept Mastercard and Visa. We also accept personal, business checks and cash.
Will a Thermographic scan tell me if I have cancer ?
Mammograms, Thermograms, MRIs, X-Rays or any other imaging scan cannot diagnose cancer. The only way to make a cancer diagnosis is by taking a biopsy and having a lab analysis. A thermogram is able to detect areas of dysfunction in the body by imaging hot and cold areas. The reason this is so important, is that a change in temperature is one of the first signs of disease. This is the reason that areas of dysfunction show up so much earlier with a thermographic scan. The report you will receive will make recommendations as to whether or not further tests are needed.
Is breast Thermography safe, even for pregnant or nursing women?
Yes, Infrared is completely non-invasive, does not use radiation, does not compress the breast and is completely safe, however; the increase in thermal activity makes it difficult to assess changes in the breast tissue. Please feel free to call us to discuss your particular concerns with this issue.
Is Digital Infrared Imaging (Thermography) an approved procedure?
Yes, Thermography was approved by the FDA for use as an adjunctive breast cancer screening procedure in 1982. This was published in the Federal Register: Vol.147, No.20, pp.4419-4420, Jan.29,1982. Keep in mind that our scanner is an FDA Class I, medical device.
Does Digital Infrared Imaging replace mammograms?
No, DITI and mammography are tests based on two completely different principles, although they do complement each other. The consensus among health care experts is that no one procedure or method of imaging is solely adequate for breast cancer screening. The false negative and positive rates for mammography are too high forthe procedure to be used alone. DITI can pick up many signs of dysfunction missedby mammography. It is DITI's unique ability to monitor the abnormal temperature(physiological) changes produced by diseased breast tissue. This allows for extremely early detection, possibly 4-8 years prior to mammograms. Mammograms do not image temperature. Mammograms can only show dysfunction after there has been a change in density of the tissue, such as is the case once a tumor has formed.
What are the advantages of Thermographic Imaging?
Thermography is the earliest method of breast pathology detection known. It is the best Risk Detection Tool available to modern medicine. It can identify changes in local physiology and blood flow before other clinical examinations or screening tests are able to detect a problem. Unlike mammography, accuracy of the test is not compromised by denser breast tissue, common in women under, 50 years of age. Compared with X-Rays, CT scans, ultrasound and MRIs, digital infrared is unique in its ability to show physiological and metabolic changes. Infrared imaging is also very cost-effective in comparison to these other screening and diagnostic tools.
How does Breast Thermography compare to a Mammogram?
Both are screening tests that do not specifically diagnose breast cancer, but screen for changes in local tissues due to various causes. Both are superior to clinical or self-examination for detecting early pathological changes. Mammography detects anatomical changes and is more precise than thermograms in identifying the exact location of a lesion, while thermography detects physiological changes that occur much earlier than anatomical changes. Thermography has been shown to detect the pre-cancerous state of breast tissue up to 10 years before breast cancer is identified by other methods. A positive thermographic image represents the highest known risk factor for the future development of breast cancer, 10 times more significant than any family history of the disease. Compared with mammography, 7 out of 10 times, infrared imaging is the first alarm that something is altered on a cellular basis in the breast.
I have a history of breast cancer, will Thermography be helpful?
Yes. You can repeat a thermographic scans as often as you would like. Patients use thermography to track treatment progress or to assess any physiological changes in the breast area. Physicians usually recommend that you limit your exposure to radiation by limiting the number of mammograms for treatment assessment to twice a year.
Can Thermography be used for other conditions?
Yes, there are a number of conditions where thermography has proven to be a useful procedure as well as a way to measure treatment progress. These conditions include but are not limited to the following conditions:
Altered Ambulatory Kinetics ● Altered Biokinetics ● Arteriosclerosis ● Brachial Plexus Injury ● Biomechanical Impropriety ● Breast Disease ● Bursitis ● Carpal tunnel Syndrome ● Causalgia ● Compartment Syndromes ● Cord Pain/Injury ● Deep Vascular Disease ● Disc Disease ● Disc Syndromes ● Dystrophy ● External Carotid Insufficiency ● Facet syndromes ● Grafts ● Hysteria ● Headache Evaluation ● Herniated Disc ● Herniated Nucleus Pulposis ● Hyperaesthesia ● Hyperextension Injury ● Inflammatory Disease ● Internal Carotid Insufficiency ● Infectious Disease (Shingles, Leprosy) ● Lumbosacral Plexus Injury ● Ligament Tear ● Lower Motor Neuron Disease ● Lupus ● Malingering ● Median Nerve Neuropathy ● Morton’s Neuroma ● Myofascial Irritation ● Muscle Tear ● Musculoligamentous Spasm ● Nerve Entrapment ● Nerve Impingement ● Nerve Pressure ● Nerve Root Irritation ● Nerve Stretch Injury ● Nerve Trauma ● Neuropathy • Neurovascular Compression ● Neuralgia ● Neuritis ● Neuropraxia • Neoplasia (melanoma, squamous cell, basal) ● Nutritional Disease (Alcoholism, Diabetes) ● Peripheral Nerve Injury ● Peripheral Axon Disease ● Raynaud’s ● Reffered Pain Syndrome ● Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy ● Ruptured Disc ● Somatization Disorders ● Soft Tissue Injury ● Sprain / Strain ● Stroke Screening ● Synovitis ● Sensory Loss ● Sensory Nerve Abnormality ● Somatic Abnormality ● Superficial Vascular Disease ● Skin Abnormalities ● Thoracic Outlet Syndrome ● Temporal Arteritis ● Trigerminal Neuralgia ● Thyroid Issues ● Trigger Points ● TMJ Dysfunction ● Tendonitis ● Ulnar Nerve Entrapment ● Whiplash
What parts of the body can be scanned ?
Thermal images are taken of the whole body, or individual regions including breast, head, arm, leg, torso, etc… A lumbar assessment would typically include, low back, pelvis, and legs. A cervical assessment would typically include, head and neck, upper trunk, and arms.