RT Journal A1 Hobbins WB T1 THermography and assessment of breast cancer JF JAMA JO JAMA YR 1979 FD December 21 VO 242 IS 25 SP 2761 OP 2761 DO 10.1001/jama.1979.03300250017019 UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1979.03300250017019 AB To the Editor.—  Dorthea R. Peck, MD (241:2784, 1979), suggests appropriately that biologic assessment of breast cancer is probably important.Thermography has performed this function well since first reported by Lawson1 of Montreal, in 1957. In 1969, Lloyd2 reported the biologic survival of patients as a direct function of temperature of the cancerous breast in 167 cases. Patients who had temperatures higher than 2.5 °C had no survival past 2 1/2 years.More recently, Fournier3 of Heidelberg studied breast tumor doubling time as measured and computed on mammography, correlated with thermographic evaluation of the affected breast. Doubling times of 400 to 500 days had no thermal disturbance compared with doubling times of 40 to 50 days, which had greater than 3 °C in more than 88% of cases.Thermal biology of tumors is now possible with thermography. With this information a better prognosis and a differentiated treatment