Dynamic Angiothermography (DATG)

Dynamic Angiothermography (DATG) is a noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of breast cancer . The instrument consists of a thin plate with liquid crystals that changes color due to a change in temperature, consequently offering an image of breast vasculature . DATG is based on the angiogenesis theory on tumor initiation, development, and growth. A tumor needs new vessels. Therefore, by studying the changes in the pattern of vascular blood supply, it is also possible to diagnose neoplasms very early. In particular, it is shown that every human being has his or her own vascular pattern which, in the absence of disease, does not vary throughout the life time. By repeating DATG periodically, an efficient control of the onset of disease is possible, even in its early stages. This is not new but still little-known technique which is a component of the overall diagnostic techniques for the study and prevention of breast cancer that serves to offer a complete clinical picture of the patient. The great advantages of DATG are: it does not use radiation; it is not invasive or painful; it is low-cost and can be repeated periodically and successfully with no drawbacks. The angiothermographic examination thus makes it possible to visualize the breast vascularity pattern without using contrast medium. On the other hand, while highlighting changes in mammary vascularization, DATG is not able to indicate the size or depth of the tumor; even if recent researches (based on the approximated solution of the inverse Fourier heat equation) show the possibility to evaluate the depth of the tumor. This paper, after the introduction in Sect. 1, starts with a description of historical context in Sect. 2, and outlines the instrumentation in Sect. 3. Section 4 describes the technique, while a comparison with other diagnostic techniques is provided in Sect. 5. To close, Sect. 6 offers a practical guide on the use of this method.