Relation between Locoregional Hyperthermic Area Detected by Contact Thermography and the Maximum Density of Tumor Stain Obtained by IV-DSA in Breast Cancer Patients.

We studied the significance of the locoregional hyperthermic area observed by contact thermography in relation to the maximum density of tumor enhancement obtained by IV-DSA. The subjects were 34 patients with primary breast cancer. The thermal difference between the locoregional hyperthermic area and the surrounding mammary tissues was obtained, and the maximum density of tumor stain on IV-DSA was calculated from the time-density curve. Twenty-three (67.6%) patients had a locoregional hyperthermic area corresponding to the tumor. The higher the degree of thermal difference between the hyperthermic area and the surrounding tissues, the higher the maximum density of tumor enhancement. As the maximum density of tumor stain is considered to reflect the vascularity of the tumor, the degee of the locoregional hyperthermic area obtained by thermography may also reflect tumor vascularity.