Related Experiment Video For Breast Density
Updated: May 8, 2026
Quantitative Visualization and Detection of Skin Cancer Using Dynamic Thermal Imaging
Published on: May 5, 2011
[Infrared thermography outcomes in women with suspected breast cancer]
Gabriela Aidee Luna-Patiño1, Gloria Patricia Sosa-Bustamante1, Dulce Lisbeth Ibarra-Morán1
1Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Centro Médico Nacional del Bajío, Hospital de Gineco Pediatría No. 48, Dirección de Educación e Investigación en Salud. León, Guanajuato, México.
Background:
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cause of death in women aged 40 to 75 years. Infrared thermography (IT) has been proposed as a noninvasive test useful in the detection of BC.
Objective:
To analyze the results of IT in women with suspected BC.
Material And Methods:
An analytical, observational, longitudinal, and prospective study was conducted. Women aged ≥ 15 years with suspected BC were included, with BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) 4. Prior to the biopsy, breast temperature was measured using 2 thermographic sensors. The histopathological results of the breast biopsy were recorded and classified as inflammatory lesions, fibrocystic breast disease, premalignant lesions, and malignant lesions.
Results:
A total of 104 women were analyzed, with BI-RADS 4A (64%), 4B (26%), and 4C (10%), and 4 were eliminated due to loss to follow-up. Mean age was 47.7 ± 12.2 years. 14% of cases showed a palpable lesion, with the right breast being the most affected (56%). The most common malignant lesion was ductal carcinoma (11%). The IT cutoff point for malignant lesion ≥ 33.4 °C showed a sensitivity of 0.69, specificity of 0.63, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.65 (95% confidence intervals [95% CI] 0.45-0.79), p = 0.03; with an odds ratio (OR) = 4.16 (95% CI 1.23-14.09), p = 0.01.
Conclusion:
The results of the IT showed moderate sensitivity and specificity for malignant lesions. The cutoff point ≥ 33.4 °C showed a 4-fold increased risk for malignancy.
