Infrared light is considered safe to humans. Mammograms are commonly used to detect breast masses which are then biopsied, a procedure that removes a portion of the tumor tissue for testing. Biopsies are performed either with a needle that draws cells from the mass and requires either local or general anesthesia, or by surgery, which requires general anesthesia. The anesthesia alone for a biopsy could have a higher complication rate than the drug we're using. Mammograms themselves have been the subject of serious debate within the medical establishment, as their potential for doing harm must be carefully weighed against their benefits as a cancer screening device in women of different ages.
Mammograms rely on X-rays, which can mutate or destroy the tissue they penetrate.
Because of the danger inherent in repeated exposure to X-rays, debate in the medical community continues over how often women should have mammograms and at what age they should begin. While no one disagrees that mam-mograms and biopsies have saved thousands of lives and should be used to screen for breast cancer, the techniques have room for improvement. Because about 80 percent of biopsies reveal no malignancy, the patient's risk from injury due to the combined procedures of mammogram and biopsy may be quite high when compared with the risk of living with a nonmalignant breast condition. There's a large scientific community working on infrared imaging techniques. I think eventually something is going to be good enough to become part of the imaging commonly available for screening breast cancer.