Thermographic changes following steroidal administration to patients with mammary cancer

In 27 post-menopausal patients with soft-tissue lesions of advanced breast cancer, temperature changes in skin-over tumour have been evaluated for their ability to predict response to additive hormone therapy. The thermoprofile across the tumour and its bed was selected for measuring purposes in preference to other thermographic methods. Serial measurements were carried out before and during therapy, and the observations correlated with the clinical response to therapy. Of the 14 patients who showed decrease of at least 1 degree C in the thermoprofile peak value within 2 weeks of initiating hormonal therapy, 57% showed clinical evidence of tumour regression 3 months later. Of 13 patients who did not show this change, none showed tumour regression later.