Breast Imaging Outcomes following Abnormal Thermography

The study aimed to determine the outcome of patients presenting for evaluation of abnormal breast thermography.

Following Institutional Review Board approval, retrospective search identified 38 patients who presented for conventional breast imaging following a thermography-detected abnormality. Study criteria included women who had mammogram and/or breast ultrasound performed for evaluation of a thermography-detected abnormality between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015. Patients whose mammograms and ultrasounds were initiated at an outside institution or who did not have imaging at our institution were excluded. Records were reviewed for clinical history, thermography results, mammogram and/or ultrasound findings, and pathology. Mammograms and ultrasounds were prospectively interpreted by one of 14 Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified breast imaging radiologists with 3-30 years of experience. Patient outcomes were determined by biopsy or at least 1 year of follow-up. Patient ages ranged from 23 to 70 years (mean = 50 years).

Ninety-five percent (36 of 38) of patients did not have breast cancer. The two patients diagnosed with breast cancer had suspicious clinical symptoms including palpable mass and erythema. No asymptomatic woman had breast cancer. Negative predictive value was 100%. Of 38 patients, 79% (30 of 38) had Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 1 or 2 assessments; 5% (2 of 38) had BI-RADS 3; and 16% (6 of 38) had BI-RADS 4 (n = 5) or BI-RADS 5 (n = 1) assessments. Two of six patients with biopsy recommendations were diagnosed with breast cancer (Positive predictive value 2 = 33.3%). All findings recommended for biopsy were ipsilateral to the reported thermography abnormality.

No cancer was diagnosed among asymptomatic women. The 5% of patients diagnosed with cancer had co-existing suspicious clinical findings. Mammogram and/or ultrasound were useful in accurately characterizing patients with abnormal thermography.