Who would have thought that the supposedly happy and exciting family trip would turn into a life-changing experience? This happened to a tourist who discovered while on tour with her family that she had breast cancer. The 41-year-old traveler found out about her cancer after an interactive exhibit on a thermal camera, also known as heat-cam, that revealed a tumor on one side of her breasts.
In a report from Yahoo! News, Bal Gill, the tourist, "caught the illness in its early stages" after she visited the Camera Obscura exhibit middle of this year. The said discovery urged her to go to her doctor for a consultation immediately. When she stepped before a thermal-camera display showing which body parts are cold and hot, still, according to the news site, "she discovered one side of her breasts was glowing yellow."
Heat-Cam, a Blessing in Disguise
After the news about heat-cam detecting breast cancer in one of the tourists during the exhibit, it may have created a not-so-good impression. Many would think of it as a scary device as it could tell if one is terminally ill. However, Gill feels the opposite. For her, the exhibit, specifically the device, was a blessing in disguise. After she visited the event in May, the tourist sent Camera Obscura a letter after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
In CNN News, Gill told the exhibitors through her letter how thankful she was. She said, "Without that camera, I would never have known." It may not be the camera's real intention, the tourist said, but it was a visit that changed her life. Even the museum officials did not realize that the camera they were exhibiting could do something than scan body parts and their respective temperatures. Andrew Johnson, general manager of Camera Obscura, said they did not realize their display could detect cancer signs.
Not Recommended for Screening Purposes
If Gill feels fortunate that she found out about her breast cancer in its early stages through the heat-cam, some medical experts still don't recommend it for screening purposes. Medical director, Dr. Tracey Gillies from NHS Lothian said her medical team utilizes the digital mammography to screen breast cancer. Mammograms, she explained, consume low energy X-rays to produce images.
However, it does not mean that heat-cam or any other thermal camera is something that the doctors don't use when screening their patients for breast cancer. In fact, some physicians sometimes use the device to detect the illness. Also known as a non-invasive approach, screening through the thermal camera is not as effective when detecting tumors as the mammogram does.
