Thermography is a test that measures the heat coming from the body. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help detect breast cancer and other diseases, although its effectiveness has been the subject of debate.

Thermography is typically performed in an outpatient clinic by a board certified clinical thermographer who received specialized training and licensure in the practice.

Thermography typically uses two technologies: a highly sensitive infrared camera and a computer. The camera detects changes in the surface temperature of the breast. These changes may indicate the presence of precancerous cells or cancerous cells in their early stages of development. Information about temperature changes in the breast is relayed to a computer, which analyzes the information and creates an image (called a thermogram) that shows warmer areas in red and cooler areas (indicating normal breast tissue) in blue.

Proponents of thermography contend that it can detect cancers of the breast months or years earlier than traditional techniques such as mammography or physical examination. In addition, thermography usually does not involve physical contact with the breast and does not expose the patient to potentially harmful radiation.

However, many experts – including the American Cancer Society (ACS) – have expressed reservations about the effectiveness of thermography as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer. For now, most experts agree that thermography should only be used as an adjunct to other traditional techniques used to diagnose breast cancer.