Philip Getson, a Doctor of Osteopathy, is a board certified family physician in practice for 35 years in New Jersey. When asked to pinpoint what inspired his choice of medicine as a life-time career, Getson never hesitates to say, “I never wanted to be anything other than a doctor.”

In 1982 Getson became a Board Certified Thermologist. “I believed that thermography, which is a non-invasive method free of radiation and compression, was going to become the breast test of choice because it looks at how the breast works rather than how it looks,” he says.

Anticipating that thermography would become the “prevention” wave of the future, the Assistant Professor of Medicine in Neurology at Drexel University Hospital in Philadelphia welcomed being able to focus on the function of

the breast as opposed to the anatomy. Getson, who has reviewed more than 10,000 thermographic studies of the breast, thyroid and neuromuscular system, explains that in medicine physiology “always” changes before anatomy. “Thermography, which utilizes an infrared camera to take images of the breast, is a diagnostic tool that allows a woman to be proactive because it reveals developing changes in physiology before they become visible abnormalities in the anatomy,” advises Getson who championed the cause of thermography during a 10-year court battle, which ultimately was heard by the New Jersey State Supreme Court. In a unanimous verdict the Supreme Court ruled that thermography was a "reasonable and necessary medical expense" under the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Law.

An international lecturer on thermographic testing and the author of several papers on the subject, Getson points out that most of what is written about breast cancer concerns treatment while painfully little information is available regarding prevention. Getson and his wife, Liesha, a board certified thermographic technician who has been involved in this field for more than 10 years, firmly believe in the correlation between diet and nutrition and breast cancer. “Our research has shown that most experts agree,” notes Getson, who reminds us that Hippocrates, the father of medicine, believed that food should be your medicine and medicine should be your food. He also likes to assure his patients that the ancient Chinese offered up excellent wisdom when it comes to the role they can play in their health: “He who takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skill of the physician."

Liesha is also a Holistic Health Counselor, Reiki Master and Certified Integrated Energy Therapist who has studied many alternative approaches to healing. Together, the Getsons have developed Discover Health Through Awareness, a proactive program for prevention and better breast health, which is the result of their firsthand experience with patients. The website information includes tips for diet and lifestyle changes to aid in prevention, healthier breasts, and overall wellness.

Getson also uses thermography to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Thermographic Diagnostic Imaging, 100 Brick Rd. Ste 206, Marlton 08053. Call 856-596-5834 or visit TDINJ.com.