Abstract
Infrared imaging of the breasts for breast cancer risk assessment with a second generation amber indium antimonide focal plane staring array system was found to produce images superior to a first generation Inframetrics scanning mercury cadmium telluride system. The second generation system had greater thermal sensitivity, more elements in the image and greater dynamic range, which resulted in a greater ability to demonstrate asymmetric heat patterns in the breasts of women being screened for breast cancer. Chi-square analysis for independence of the results from 220 patients with both the scanning and focal plane infrared imaging systems demonstrated that the results from the two systems were strongly associated with each other (p equals .0001). However, the improved image from the second generation focal plane infrared imaging system allowed more objective and quantitative visual analysis, compared to the very subjective qualitative results from the first generation infrared imaging system. The improved image also resulted in an increase in the sensitivity for asymmetric heat patterns with the second generation focal plane system and yielded an increase in the percentage of patients with an abnormal asymmetric infrared image of the breasts from 32.7% with the scanning system to 50.5% with the focal plane system. The greater sensitivity and resolution of the digitized images from the second generation infrared imaging system has also allowed computer assisted image analysis of both breasts, breast quadrants and hot spots to produce quantitative measurements (mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum temperatures) of asymmetric infrared abnormalities.
Published Version
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