Breast thermography is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses heat sensors to measure the surface temperature of the breasts. It is sometimes promoted as a screening tool for breast cancer, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.  There are a number of studies that have shown that breast thermography is not effective in detecting breast cancer:

-One study, published in the journal JAMA in 2017, found that breast thermography was no better than a physical exam at detecting breast cancer. The study also found that breast thermography was associated with a higher rate of false positives, which can lead to unnecessary biopsies.

-Another study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in 2018, found that breast thermography was not effective in detecting breast cancer in women with dense breasts. Dense breasts are more difficult to image with mammograms, so they are a particular challenge for breast cancer screening.

-A third study, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment in 2020, found that breast thermography was not effective in detecting breast cancer in women with a family history of breast cancer. Women with a family history of breast cancer are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, so they may be particularly interested in screening tests that are effective.

On Feb. 25, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put out a safety communication telling people that thermography is not a substitute for a mammogram.  In fact, the FDA has stated explicitly that thermography should not be used in place of other screening tools like mammography to detect breast cancer or any other disease.

One of the greatest dangers of thermography is that those who opt for this method instead of mammography may miss the chance to detect breast cancer at its earliest stage. Thermography devices have only been cleared by the FDA as an “adjunctive” tool, referring to use alongside a primary screening test like mammography. Patients who undergo a thermography test alone should not be reassured of the findings because the device was not cleared to be used other than with another testing method like mammography. (You can learn more about mammography, including how it works and how to find a certified facility, on the FDA's website.) Moreover, some websites claim thermography can find breast cancer years before it would be detected through other methods, and they have unproven claims about improved detection of cancer in dense breasts. The FDA is not aware of any evidence that supports these claims.

The FDA has taken regulatory action (including issuing warning letters) against healthcare providers and thermography device manufacturers who have tried to mislead patients into believing that thermography can take the place of mammography. To protect public health, the FDA’s regulatory actions can include scheduling a regulatory meeting, sending a warning letter or other correspondence, conducting an establishment inspection, or other actions as appropriate.

 Based on the evidence from these studies, the American Cancer Society does not recommend breast thermography as a screening tool for breast cancer. The Society states that "there is no scientific evidence that breast thermography is effective in detecting breast cancer in women without symptoms."