In 1956, Breast Thermography was introduced by Dr Robert Lawson in Quebec Canada. Dr. Lawson was the first to publish a medical paper on Breast Thermography on 26 women with breast cancer. His research found that when comparing the diseased breast to the healthy breast, women with breast cancer had a delta T of more than 2 degrees.

Infrared cameras were introduced in the 1960s, and the first Barnes Thermograph was patented. Later, liquid crystal bras and plates were utilized as a more cost-effective screening approach.

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The above image is that of the first thermal study performed by Robert Lawson in Quebec, CA in 1956. This was published and can be found in PUBMED.

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Breast thermography was certified 'beyond experimental' by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1972. Over 4000 articles on thermography were published, including over 800 focusing on breast thermography. In the United States, all major medical facilities adopted the technique. Other countries quickly followed suit.

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In 1982, the FDA approved Thermography as an additional screening technique for breast cancer. Recent technological improvements have enabled us to conduct even more precise tests.
 

A 2008 research published in the American Journal of Surgery, conducted at New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell, demonstrated a 97% sensitivity in distinguishing cancer when compared to biopsy. When compared to mammography, these findings demonstrated that thermography accurately identified 97% (58 of 60) of cancers.
Obesity and large breasts were a limiting factor.

Dr. Piana and Sepper have published a paper titled Contemporary Evaluation of Thermal Breast Screening in the Pan American Journal of Thermology, which focuses on the history and present acceptability of breast thermography.