Thermography is not a substitute for mammography, warns FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that thermography should not be used in place of mammography for breast cancer screening or diagnosis. FDA says mammography— an X-ray of the breast—is still the most effective way of detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages.

Thermography produces an infrared image that shows the patterns of heat and blood flow on or near the surface of the body. While cleared by FDA for use as an adjunct, or additional tool, it should not be used by itself to screen for, or diagnose, breast cancer.

The agency has sent several warning letters to health care providers and a thermography manufacturer who claim that the thermal imaging can take the place of mammography.