The TGA is moving to shut down alternative clinics spruiking “unproven” thermal imaging to women as a means of detecting breast cancer.

The watchdog is asking the public to report clinics advertising thermography for breast cancer screening, following media reports that a clinic in Adelaide has been using a deregistered device known as a Meditherm and promoting its use to women.

Thermography uses an infrared camera to measure differences in temperature around a person’s body, which practitioners claim can be used to detect tumours without the discomfort of a mammogram or the exposure to radiation.

There is no compelling evidence to show the technique is effective for early detection according to the NHMRC which warns it is linked with high rates of false positives and negatives.