Cancer Detect Prev.
2009;32(5-6):431-6. Epub 2009 Feb 20.

Specific thermographic changes during Walker 256 carcinoma development: differential infrared imaging of tumor  inflammation and haematoma.

Poljak-Blazi M, Kolaric D, Jaganjac M, Zarkovic K, Skala K, Zarkovic N. Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.

BACKGROUND: Infrared imaging measures spatial variations in the skin temperature aiming to determine pathological processes; hence possible use of this non-invasive analytical method in cancer detection is emerging.

METHODS: Infrared thermal imaging was used to detect changes in rat skin surface temperature
associated with experimental cancer development (Walker 256 carcinoma), inflammation (upon s.c. Sephadex injection) and haematoma (provoked by s.c. blood coagulate injection). Infrared camera with a geometric resolution of 76,800 pixels, spectral range of 8-14 microns and the minimal detectable temperature resolution of 0.07 degrees C with spatial resolution of 0.48 mm at measuring distance of 30 cm was used to obtain computerized thermal scans.

RESULTS: The raise of peripheral temperature was observed after induction of local inflammation or haematoma. Opposite to that, transient decrease of the skin surface temperature was observed after tumor
transplantation. Progressive growth of tumor was associated with the raise of the skin surface temperature from the 10th day after tumor inoculation, when the tumors developed supportive neoangiogenic blood supply, as verified by histology.

CONCLUSION: While the raise of peripheral temperature in advanced tumor was caused by neoangiogenesis, the reduction in skin surface temperature in an early period after tumor cell inoculation indicated a decay of transplanted tumor cells due to the immune response and the lack of blood supply. Thus, infrared thermal imaging may have considerable value in evaluation of the tumor development and
discrimination of cancer from inflammation and haematoma.