Quantitative thermography as a predictor of breast cancer

Abstract

The lack of specific, consistent diagnostic criteria has lessened the value of thermography in the diagnosis of mammary cancer. In an effort to improve the diagnostic accuracy of this technique, a numerical procedure was devised based on the evaluation of four features of the breast thermogram. Each was shown to be a statistically valid indicator of malignancy. In combination, as a diagnostic score, they were even more reliable. The development of a color technique provided a simple means for quantitating three of these features. Normal patients and patients with proven breast tumors were thermographed and scored. Optimal weighting, by linear discriminant analysis, did not improve the results significantly. Three sets of weights for the four diagnostic criteria were used in the multiple logistic function in order to generate probability tables which related all possible diagnostic scores to the chance of having cancer. The observed results, in this small series, compared favorably with those predicted by the model.

Condition Assessment of Electrical Power Devices using Infrared Thermography: A Review

“…The table is used for analysing thermographic results in order to determine priority levels and recommend further actions based on the criterion of temperature difference between a measured component and the temperature of ambient air or a similar component under similar loading. Barash et al (1973) Using a colour technique, a value was assigned depending on the difference between the temperature of one breast compared to that of the corresponding anatomical area on the contralateral side. Qualitative infrared thermography has also been applied to buildings, being used to detect and characterise their possible thermal pathologies, and also characterise the properties of their composing materials (Garrido et al, 2018a).…”