Original scientific paper
Thermography – A Feasible Method for Screening Breast Cancer?
Darko Kolarić
; »Ruđer Bošković« Institute, Centre for Informatics and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Herceg
; University of Zagreb, »Sestre milosrdnice« University Hospital Center, University Hospital for Tumors, Department of
Iskra Alexandra Nola
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, »Andrija [tampar« School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and
Vesna Ramljak
; University of Zagreb, »Sestre milosrdnice« University Hospital Center, University Hospital for Tumors, Department of Cytology,
Tomislav Kuliš
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Urology, Zagreb, Croatia
Jadranka Katančić Holjevac
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
Judith A. Deutsch
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Zagreb, Croatia
Svetlana Antonini
; Zagreb Primary Health Care Center, Department of Radiology, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Potential use of thermography for more effective detection of breast carcinoma was evaluated on 26 patients scheduled for breast carcinoma surgery. Ultrasonographic scan, mammography and thermography were performed at the University Hospital for Tumors. Thermographic imaging was performed using a new generation of digital thermal cameras with high sensitivity and resolution (ThermoTracer TH7102WL, NEC). Five images for each patient were recorded: front, right semi-oblique, right oblique, left- semi oblique and left oblique. While mammography detected 31 changes in 26 patients, thermography was more sensitive and detected 6 more changes in the same patients. All 37 changes were subjected to the cytological analysis and it was found that 16 of samples were malignant, 8 were suspected malignant and 11 were benign with atypia or proliferation while only 2 samples had benign findings. The pathohistological method (PHD) recorded 75.75% malignant changes within the total number of samples. Statistical analysis of the data has
shown a probability of a correct mammographic finding in 85% of the cases (sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 84%) and a probability of a correct thermographic finding in 92% of the cases (sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 79%). As breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer in women and thermography exhibited superior sensitivity, we believe that thermography should immediately find its place in the screening programs for early detection of breast carcinoma, in order to reduce the sufferings from this devastating disease.
Keywords
breast cancer screening; thermography; mammography
Hrčak ID:
104666
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2013.
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