Introductory Comments

Thank you for visiting the Thermogram Assessment Services (TAS) web site.

Whether you're already offering breast thermography in your practice and are looking for a more rewarding experience, seeking to augment your practice with the latest and best technology, or contemplating a new breast thermography practice, you will find the TAS site of interest to you.

TAS offers state-of-the-art cameras from FLIR Systems, Inc., and image interpretation from a credible, easy-to-use, web-based interpretation service that interprets breast thermograms with software embodying the gold standard Gautherie Interpretation Protocol.

PHILOSOPHY

Long-term survival from breast cancer depends on the earliest possible detection of the disease. Breast thermography has demonstrated unsurpassed efficacy for the earliest detection of breast cancer. But, as capable as breast thermography is, it is grossly under-utilized in the USA. And, despite the known drawbacks and dangers of mammography, it continues albeit controversially to be touted as a screening method.

The use of breast thermography has been debated for more than fifty years. This debate has been fueled with myths, misinformation and money interests in a deliberate attempt to squelch the use of breast thermography. The debate continues, in large part, because most thermographic practices contribute to the detractor's argument – A standard, accurate and objective method for conducting and interpreting breast thermography examinations is of unparalleled importance, but lacking in most breast thermography practices.

TAS is driven by the conviction that long-term breast cancer survival rates will be favorably impacted by the widespread use of breast thermography, but the widespread use of breast thermography will occur only if the examinations and image interpretations are performed correctly.

An Opportunity

Mammography is now admitted by the American Cancer Society to be ineffective for early detection of breast cancer, and it is now conventional wisdom that its radiation poses a serious health risk. An opportunity exists to dramatically improve breast cancer long-term survival rates with the widespread use of breast thermography. Confusion and misunderstanding concerning which camera to purchase, and the absence of an acceptable, widely available and credible method for interpreting breast thermograms have hindered that opportunity.

Recent technological advances by FLIR have resulted in significant price breakthroughs. The choice of which camera to acquire has been reduced to the common sense choice of paying $25,000+ for yesterday's technology and a package of software you will never use, or paying about one-half that amount for a state-of-the-art camera from the world's leading IR camera manufacturer, inclusive of all the software you need to add breast thermography to a practice.

A credible method for objectively interpreting breast thermograms has been available since the early 1980's, but its general use has been thwarted by its time-consuming complexity. Instructional courses promising interpretation expertise are available, but expensive, and if offered by alternative medicine practitioners they are usually of questionable value. The TAS thermogram evaluation software and interpretation service are ideal alternatives.

TAS BACKGROUND

Dr. Michel Gautherie is a recognized expert in accurately evaluating breast thermograms, and the author of the gold standard breast thermography interpretation protocol upon which the TAS program is based. TAS founder, Edward B. "Ed" Jay, is a physicist-turned-businessman and an adept computer software developer. In 1982 Gautherie, Jay, and others joined together to develop and commercially use a computerized version of Gautherie's protocol.

Jay was tutored by Gautherie to learn Gautherie's diagnostic technique, which enabled Jay to develop a computer program that embodied Gautherie's protocol and imparted Gautherie's expertise to other, less experienced individuals.

Jay's program received wide praise from the thermography community, including the most vociferous opponents of breast thermography at that time. The Jan. 1984 American Journal of Radiology reported that 'the program finally brings objectivity to the interpretation of breast thermograms.' And, extensive clinical trials reported that thermal breast assessment, such as that performed with Jay's program and examination protocol significantly augmented the long-term survival rates of examined patients by up to 61%.

Breast thermography had finally achieved credibility with demonstrable efficacy and was poised to take its place as the leading screening modality. It was believed that breast thermography examinations soon would become commonplace and long-term survival would be dramatically improved. Sadly, however, pressure from the mammography industry squelched clinical breast thermography (History).

After retiring in 2005 from a business career, Jay reviewed the current status of breast thermography and was dismayed at what he found. He expected a scenario in which breast thermography examinations are as common as an annual Pap Test. Instead he found the thermography community in shambles.

Having personally witnessed the efficacy of breast thermography when analyzed using Gautherie's protocol, Jay has an unshakable belief that breast cancer long-term survival will dramatically improve with widespread, correctly performed, and properly analyzed breast thermography screenings. In furtherance of this belief, Jay augmented and rewrote his earlier computer program to answer the need for a credible solution while also providing economic benefits to the practices employing breast thermography. The product of his three-year effort is the web-based TAS Breast Thermography Evaluation program featured on this site.

Again, thank you for visiting the TAS web site. Please feel free to peruse the site, and consider employing TAS in your practice. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with you and a win-win relationship between you and your patients.