PERHAPS one of the most physically painful procedures a woman has to endure in her lifetime is mammography. Just the thought or having to go through this process yearly can make females cringe and wince.

A company is offering women in this part of the world a painless, stress-free and respectful method to test breasts for possibility of cancer growth. Inframed, based in Crescent Park Residences at Bonifacio Global City, is offering breast thermography services—said to be the first of such kind in the Philippines.

Owners David E. Prout, Jose Santiago A. de la Cruz and wife Deena G. de la Cruz says unlike the more popular mammography and ultrasound procedures, thermography is “as easy as having your picture taken.” The process is fast (15 minutes), non-invasive, pain-free (no contact or compression) and the patient need not be exposed to any kind of radiation.

De la Cruz, who has been involved in the medical and health-care industry in his professional career, explained that thermo-imaging is a 40-year-old technology and is primarily used for engineering and defense purposes. It is only now that it is fast gaining popularity in developed countries as a diagnostic tool to test breasts.

Thermography is an application of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, which is similar to photography. But instead of an image formed by light, an infrared camera takes a picture of the surface heat of an object or a person and then creates a visual representation of that thermographic image for analysis. This camera is similar to the ones seen in airports which determine the temperature of an individual to screen for fever (in this case Asian flu or AH1N1).

Prout said the thermographic image shows the differences in a person’s surface body temperature; with each color representing a specific range of temperatures. Hot spots indicate a possible problem and flags potential risk. Abnormal hot spots, he said, more often precede the formation of detectible growths, which is why thermograms provide the earliest possible detection of breast diseases, including cancer. Deena added that the technology can detect the presence of even just two cancer cells. This procedure is also well recommended for monitoring post-operative breast cancer patients.

Before going through the process, a patient needs to follow pre-exam protocols which include avoiding sunbathing or tanning five days before the procedure, shaving of the area to be examined, physical stimulation, and on the day of the exam, no exercise, hot shower, lotions, powders or even antiperspirants.

The customer will have to disrobe in a spa-like waiting room and “acclimatize” for 15 minutes. Then a certified technician tells the patient how to go through the process and also adjusts the angle of the camera.

Inframed uses the top-of the-line camera system developed by Texas-based Infrared Camera Inc. that comes with a bundled medical software. Its technicians, meanwhile, are certified by the International Academy of Clinical Thermology.

The Inframed owners are quick to point out that their group is not out to diminish the value of mammography and ultrasound as methodologies for breast examination. De la Cruz noted that thermography cannot pinpoint cancer growth. “What it does is tell us that there is something wrong and that additional tests are needed. It’s actually a functional testing procedure and that anatomical tests like ultrasound and mammography may still be needed to further attest the exam.

De la Cruz said while thermography can be done with practically the entire body, only breast examination is currently 100-percent definitive. “Maybe for sports injuries, skin cancer and possibly brain tumors, this is also possible. But the sensitivity of the camera tails off in other areas and success rate drops.”

Prout said although thermography is still new to most Philippine doctors, they welcome the exams as the results are tailor-fit, according to a patient’s physiology. “It tells them what is going on inside the patient’s body.”

De la Cruz revealed that they are in talks with two Filipino doctors who are willing to be certified to interpret the results of the examination. “In this way, the results can be interpreted much faster and also cheaper than what is currently being done,” he said. The results are e-mailed to US-based doctors for interpretation and may be returned within seven days. A thermography session with Inframed currently costs P5,000.

Inframed operations are still in the soft opening stage. The owners are in discusssion with health provider and focus on their medical ambassadors. “Our target clients are well-driven, pro-active and educated women who value their health,” de la Cruz said. Most of their current patients come to know of Inframed by word of mouth.  “We may hold the formal launch before the year ends. Initially, we just want to spread the word that we are here and that we’re offering First World technology to Filipinos,” de la Cruz said, and then extend their services to health centers, beauty bars, women’s groups, nongovernmental organizations, “and maybe help reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the country in our own small way.”

One of every eight women in the US will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. The Philippines has been identified to rank first in the number of breast cancer incidences in Asia at 47 percent of the population, and among the top countries in the globally. “Our advocacy is to reduce this number by at least 1 percent to 2 percent and help prevent the disease’s spread through this technology,” de la Cruz ended.