This is an independent, plain-language summary of an open-access study. Use the button above to read the full peer-reviewed article on PubMed Central.
At a glance
A 2019 prospective clinical trial in the Journal of Biomedical Physics & Engineering evaluated computer/contact regulation thermography (CRT) as a complementary diagnostic tool for breast cancer, comparing it head-to-head with mammography, sonography, and clinical breast examination — with pathology as the gold standard.
“Although CRT with a lower sensitivity and higher specificity cannot be recommended to be used as a definitive diagnostic tool for breast cancer patients, it can be used as a complementary method with other methods to increase the diagnostic accuracy of suspicious patients.” — Hashemi et al., 2019
Study design
- 44 patients (from 97 referred) met the inclusion criteria at a cancer research center.
- Each underwent mammography, sonography, clinical examination, CRT, and pathology.
- Final pathology: 19 benign lesions and 25 malignant tumors.
- CRT protocol: 119 measurement points read before and after a cooling stimulus in a temperature-controlled room (20–23 °C).
Key results
Measured against pathology, CRT showed the highest specificity of the imaging modalities — i.e. it was best at correctly identifying benign cases — while its sensitivity was lower:
| Modality | Sensitivity | Specificity | Accuracy | PPV | NPV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRT | 52.0% | 78.9% | 63.6% | 76.5% | 55.5% |
| Mammography | 70.6% | 71.4% | 70.9% | 75.0% | 66.7% |
| Sonography | 82.4% | 47.0% | 64.7% | 60.9% | 72.7% |
| Clinical exam | 84.0% | 94.7% | 88.6% | 95.5% | 81.8% |
PPV = positive predictive value; NPV = negative predictive value.
What it means
CRT's strength here was specificity — it outperformed both mammography and sonography at correctly ruling lesions benign. Its lower sensitivity means it is not suited to stand alone; used alongside other modalities, it can raise the overall diagnostic accuracy of the work-up. The authors also highlight CRT's practical advantages: no ionizing radiation, no contrast dyes, non-invasive, immediate results, and relatively inexpensive.
Limitations noted by the authors
Results were sensitive to non-ideal test conditions — tight clothing, makeup, fatigue, stress, and imperfect temperature control — which are difficult to fully standardize in routine practice. The authors suggest that tighter control of these variables could improve CRT's sensitivity and accuracy in future work.
Citation & license
Hashemi B, Hasanaj F, Akbari ME, Mirzaei HR, Mojtahed M, Bakhshandeh M. Assessment of Computer Regulation Thermography as a Complementary Diagnostic tool for Breast Cancer Patient. J Biomed Phys Eng. 2019;9(6):621–628. doi:10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.468. PMCID: PMC6943844.
© Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Open access under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. The summary above is provided for information; please read the full original for complete methods, figures, and discussion.