Contact thermography as a prognostic indicator of breast cancer
Ikeda, T.; Abe, O.; Enomoto, K.; Kikuchi, K.; Fujiwara, K.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer and ChemoTherapy 16(5): 2103-2108
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-0684 PMID: 2658842 Document Number: 327669
Ninety-seven primary, operable cancer patients were followed after surgery with a median follow-up of 44 months. Thermograms were classified into 3 categories: normal, equivocal and abnormal. There has been no recurrence in patients with normal thermographic pattern. Patients with abnormal thermographic pattern showed poor prognosis: 88% survival and 80% recurrence-free survival rate at 3 years. Normal thermographic pattern favored the survival curves and recurrence-free survival curves, even if stratified by nodal states. There seems to be no correlation between thermographic patterns and sites of recurrence, but patients with abnormal thermographic patterns tend to have recurrences at more than one site.