FAQs

Yes. Thermography is FDA approved in the US and has been used in Europe and in many countries around the world for over 30 years. Thermography is a non-invasive test, which means nothing is sent into your body. Images that are created by this technology are simply measurements of the heat that naturally radiates from your body. There is no contact of any kind, nor is there any pain or radiation.

Thermography cannot, and does not, diagnose breast cancer. This is also true for anatomical tests, such as mammograms, ultrasounds, and magnetic resonance imaging. Such tests provide information on the different aspects of the disease process and identify the need for further investigations. A biopsy of the breast and accompanying histological evaluation is the only definitive diagnostic test for breast cancer.

No. However, many private insurance companies cover the cost of this examination.

No. A referral is not necessary.

No. Thermography is not a stand-alone diagnostic test when it comes to breast cancer. Breast thermography is a non-contact imaging procedure that records skin-surface temperature patterns over the breast and surrounding areas, without compression or ionizing radiation. Standardized images allow those patterns to be documented and compared over time. Infrared imaging is a functional test, whereas mammography is a structural test. Thermography should be used in conjunction with other structural examinations (mammography, ultrasound, or MRI).

We will ask you to escalate to structural tests to make sure that nothing is being missed at that time. In the event that your other tests come back with negative results we will continue to monitor you with greater frequency (please see the answer above) to make sure that there are no changes compared to your baseline images. We will also advise you to look at some of the risk factors that may be elevating your rating. These may include hormonal issues, diet, nutritional disturbances, endocrine disorders, and lifestyle modifications, just to name a few.

Yes. Breast thermography is painless and safe, using no radiation or compression. It can be used effectively and safely for all women, including pregnant or nursing women, women with dense breast tissue, women with fibrocystic condition, and women with breast implants.

First Appointment for Breast & Breast/Cranial allow up 60- 90 minutes. The procedure takes approximately 60 minutes leaving up to 30 minutes for breast health info & discussion.
Follow Up Appointments for Breast &/or Cranial 45-60 minutes
Full Body Appointments please allow up to 2 hours

This depends on your initial findings. With low risk findings, and depending on your age and general level of health, we will recommend annual or bi-annual screening. If your findings fall into the medium/higher risk category, you will be asked to repeat this examination in 6 or 9 months to compare to the baseline. Because the thermogram of a healthy woman remains remarkably constant, serial thermograms can assess tissue changes over time. A healthy initial thermogram can, therefore, serve as a baseline to compare future thermograms against.

During your thermography test, you will be asked to plunge your hands into 10C water for 60 seconds. Your thermography technician will then repeat the process of imaging, providing before (baseline) and after (functional) images. Under normal, healthy conditions, your blood vessels will constrict, which a normal physiological response. However, high-risk areas will not respond to this challenge at the same rate as the healthy surrounding tissue. The cold challenge test provides us with additional information that aids in our comprehensive analysis of your images. Thermography is a test of physiology that measures physiological response (dynamic testing vs. static testing), thus a cold challenge test provides us with additional physiological assessment. Breast thermography clinics that do not perform a cold challenge test are making a grave mistake and doing a disservice to their clients by not following international standards and, in effect, performing only half the test.

FICTION: TH grading is outdated and no longer relevant in modern breast thermography.

FACT: TH grading remains a structured method for describing and comparing thermal findings. Its value is not that it is fashionable or new, but that it gives clinics and interpreters a consistent framework for communicating what is being seen.

FICTION: Thermal stress testing is unnecessary, obsolete, or merely optional in breast thermography.

FACT: Cold challenge is a functional test. It helps assess vascular and autonomic response rather than relying only on a static image captured at a single moment in time.

FICTION: Modern high-resolution cameras make traditional imaging protocols less important.

FACT: Camera quality matters, but methodology matters more. Thermography is highly dependent on room control, acclimatization, patient preparation, positioning, image sequence, and interpretation discipline.

FICTION: Grayscale images are more accurate or more advanced than color thermal images.

FACT: Color palettes are widely used because they make temperature gradients and asymmetries easier to visualize. They can help highlight subtle differences that may be less intuitive to appreciate in grayscale alone.

FICTION: Thermographic interpretation is only credible when performed by a licensed or regulated healthcare professional.

FACT: Thermography is not governed by one single licensing framework in the way some professions are. Across the field, interpretation has historically involved individuals with specialized thermology training, not exclusively medical doctors or provincially regulated practitioners.

FICTION: Thermography cannot appropriately refer to risk or risk assessment.

FACT: Thermography is not presented as a stand-alone diagnostic tool. However, it is reasonable to describe it as a physiological assessment that helps organize findings into levels of concern or follow-up significance within its proper scope.

FICTION: Thermography services are essentially equivalent, so lower pricing simply means better efficiency.

FACT: Price differences in thermography often reflect meaningful differences in workflow, reporting depth, consultation time, and interpretation standards.

FICTION: Thermography should be treated only as a general wellness service with no structured clinical framework.

FACT: When performed properly, thermography is a physiological imaging modality that depends on consistent protocols, pattern analysis, comparison, and follow-up.

FICTION: A newer or more fashionable way of describing thermography automatically represents an advancement in the science.

FACT: Not every new phrase, workflow, or sales message reflects actual progress.