What it says

• Mammography is the standard screening imaging test for breast cancer. It should be offered where it is appropriate and accessible.
• For large-scale screening in resource-constrained or underserved Indian settings, they support clinical breast examination (CBE) by properly trained healthcare workers as a practical, evidence-based approach.
  • CBE means a trained professional examines the breasts for a lump or other abnormality.
  • It should be linked to prompt ultrasound/mammography, biopsy, pathology, navigation, and treatment when needed.
• They state that organized CBE screening has been associated with reduced breast-cancer mortality in large Indian studies.

What it says about thermography and iBreast

• Thermography uses an infrared camera to detect surface heat patterns and blood-flow-related temperature differences.
• The statement says thermography and iBreast/infrared breast imaging, with or without AI, have not shown enough evidence to be used:
  • as a population screening test,
  • instead of mammography,
  • instead of CBE, or
  • as a test that can reliably rule out breast cancer.
• It warns that these tests can give:
  • False positives: an abnormal result when cancer is not present, causing anxiety and unnecessary tests.
  • False negatives: a reassuring normal result despite cancer being present. This is the more concerning risk because someone might delay medical assessment of a breast lump or warning symptom.

Practical meaning for you

• A normal thermography/iBreast report should not be treated as proof that there is no breast cancer.
• If you have a new lump, nipple discharge especially bloody, nipple pulling-in, skin dimpling, persistent focal breast pain, swelling, or enlarged underarm nodes, see a breast surgeon or clinician promptly, even if thermography is normal.
• The appropriate next test depends on age, symptoms, breast density, and risk profile. It may include clinical examination, ultrasound, diagnostic mammography, and sometimes biopsy.