FDA backs mammography over thermography

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers and health care providers that thermography should not be used in place of mammography for breast cancer screening or diagnosis.

In a statement earlier this month the FDA said that mammography -- an X-ray of the breast -- is still the most effective way to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.

Thermography produces an infrared image that shows the patterns of heat and blood flow on or near the surface of the body. While cleared by FDA for use as an additional tool, it should not be used by itself to screen for, or diagnose, breast cancer, the agency said.

The agency has sent several warning letters to health care providers and a thermography manufacturer who claim that the thermal imaging can take the place of mammography.