Does Sentinel BreastScan diagnose cancer?
No, Sentinel BreastScan does not diagnose cancer. Only a biopsy can confirm a diagnosis. Sentinel BreastScan is a screening tool that indicates risk, and in conjunction with other screening methods, offers a high degree of predictive accuracy.

How safe is Sentinel BreastScan?
Sentinel BreastScan poses no health risk whatsoever and has no side effects. It is safe for everyone. Sentinel BreastScan is FDA cleared.

How often do I need to take this exam?
Sentinel BreastScan is typically taken yearly however, because it uses no radiation, it can be taken more frequently as recommended by your doctor.

Who can take Sentinel BreastScan?
This exam is recommended to all women over the age of 18 including women previously diagnosed with cancer, implants, and especially women with dense or cystic breasts or family history of breast cancer.

I take yearly mammograms, why should I take another exam?
Sentinel BreastScan collects different data than other exams. Mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and clinical breast exams detect anatomical features. Sentinel BreastScan detects physiological features associated with the growth and spread of cancer cells. This additional information will be used by the radiologist reviewing your mammography films to make sure nothing was overlooked. If any abnormal areas were indicated on the infrared image, the radiologist will give that area special attention so that cancer can be detected at the earliest stage possible.

What if I get a high overall score?
The first thing you should know, it is not cause for panic or undue worry. It is more of an opportunity to alert your doctor to areas of potential concern. In most cases, women who receive a medium or high score willl be further evaluated and placed on an aggressive surveillance plan to closely monitor changes in their breast tissue.

Does my insurance company cover this exam?
Not at this time. Even though Sentinel BreastScan is FDA cleared, insurance companies decide whether or not to cover an exam based on how many people take the exam in a year’s time. Currently, patients pay a modest fee set by the doctor. Infrared Sciences works constantly with the insurance industry to get this procedure covered.

Are women too young for mammograms eligible to take the Sentinel BreastScan?
YES! This exam is especially helpful for women not yet eligible for mammograms. Women 18 to 40 now have another tool in addition to a clinical breast exam that can detect breast cancer.

I have not recently had a mammogram but I want to have a Sentinel BreastScan. What should I do?
Sentinel BreastScan has been cleared by the FDA as a screening tool used in conjunction with mammography. For women too young to have a mammogram, infrared imaging can be used in conjunction with a clinical breast exam.

I have recently undergone radiation treatment; can I take Sentinel BreastScan today?
Patients should wait one year after undergoing radiation to take Sentinel BreastScan. However, if radiation was done on one breast, there is no need to wait 12 months to have an infrared scan on the other breast.

No one in my family has ever been diagnosed with breast cancer. Why do I need to take another exam?
The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer are the first members of their family to be diagnosed. Although family history is a high risk factor, an abnormal infrared image is 10 times more significant as a future risk factor than first order family history.

Why haven’t I heard of Sentinel BreastScan IR before?
Sentinel BreastScan is a new exam and was cleared by the FDA in February of 2004. Because the recent clearance of Sentinel BreastScan, you may not have heard about it until today. However in the coming months you can be sure you will receive more information from doctors and the news media as this exciting new tool becomes more widely in use.

Can Infrared Imaging Detect Inflammatory Breast Cancer?
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a form of breast cancer that is generally in the skin of the breast and is rarely diagnosed with mammography. The only diagnosis is a biopsy, usually done after more advanced signs of the disease are observed clinically. One of the early signs of the disease includes an elevated breast temperature that increases over time as the disease advances. Infrared imaging can detect even a slight increase in the breast temperature, and thus is an effective indicator of the potential for this condition. If significant temperature signs are observed with infrared, and your doctor suspects the possibility of IBC, he may order an early biopsy before other more advanced clinical signs become evident.