In honor of Black History Month, I was privileged and honored to spend some time with a true visionary, the dedicated Naturopathic physician, Dorette Lewis-Senior. Dr. Lewis-Senior is a board certified Naturopathic physician licensed in the state of Connecticut. Committed to providing exceptional care to the community, Dr. Lewis-Senior has successfully completed years of rigorous training and practice at NY area hospitals, including Lincoln in the Bronx and Yale-Griffin Integrative Center as well as Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut. So what is naturopathy? It's a form of alternative medicine employing a vast array of natural options, which may include, homeopathy, herbalism, acupuncture, nutrition (diet) and lifestyle counseling. Naturopathic doctors are licensed physicians that combine the wisdom of nature with the benefits of modern science.
My quest for options regarding early detection of breast cancer, led me to the Bronx, to visit the bustling private practice of Dr. Lewis-Senior and discuss Thermography, a procedure that I had never heard of before. Dr. Lewis-Senior explained that Thermography is a radiation free, state of the art screening, that is very precise. Thermography is FDA approved (in 1982) and has been used in the early detection of breast cancer since 1956. Thermography uses heat detection to locate areas of temperature differences in the body. A special high resolution digital infrared camera is used to scan the body. Dr. Lewis-Senior explained that areas of excessive heat could indicate inflammation or increase of blood vessels supplied by a growing tumor. The benefit of Thermography is that it pinpoints subtle physiologic changes in the body early.
In October 2015 The American Cancer Society changed their guidelines for early detection of breast cancer, with the recommendation that women with no history of breast cancer in their family begin annual breast screenings at the age of 40. The American Cancer Society indicates that less than 15% of women with breast cancer have a family member with the disease. This means that over 85% of women who get breast cancr do not have a family history of this disease.
So in the war against breast cancer, who could benefit from Thermography? Dr. Lewis-Senior believes anyone under the age of 40 or someone who has had a lumpectomy, wants to continue to monitor their status and those who want breast screening without the added radiation exposure. Dr. Lewis-Senior is firmly committed to delivery of personalized service, early detection of breast cancer, education and individualized quality of care. Although Thermography is not covered by insurance, Dr. Lewis Senior believes that it is a crucial self investment. "Just like you want to go out and purchase that expensive purse, one can take the time and make the monetary investment in their overall health, which is extremely important!".
For more information about Thermography and the Naturopathic physician Dr. Lewis-Senior please, check out the link below!