Lakewood -- It's a debate over when a woman should get her first mammogram. The American Cancer Society has long recommended women 40 and over get a mammogram every year.

Just last year, a new government study suggested women who are not at high risk of breast cancer start the screening process at the age of 50 instead.

But for women in their 30's, some feel they're not even on the radar yet.

"When you're in your 30's they don't want to do mammograms because you're so young, breast tissue so dense. So really I could just sit around and wait until I'm 40 then get mammogram," said Jenn Jackson who has a family history of breast cancer survivors.

Jackson is 34 years old. Her mom and two aunts have all had breast cancer. For her, sitting around waiting is not an option. She wanted to be proactive.

After some research, she decided to look into thermography. Basically, Jackson just had to get her body adjusted to the room temperature, then a special camera will do the rest.

"Our camera captures a picture of the heat emitted to the surface of the body. Certain thermal findings or warning signs or risk factors, particularly in our breasts," said Thermographic Technician Tirza Derflinger of the Thermogram Center in Lakewood.

You can see the images immediately. For Jackson, the camera detected what Derflinger calls activity above her right breast. There were some dark colored spots in that area. Derflinger said often that's a sign that something is going on there that's not normal.

"Thermo-imaging is not a diagnostic test, especially for cancer. The only test that can diagnose cancer is biopsy through the pathology report," said Derflinger.

Derflinger said changing your diet can help get rid of some of the dark colored areas in Jackson's images. She said that's why Thermography can be used as a tool to help prevent breast cancer.

But other doctors disagree. They said right now there are studies going on to see if Thermography can be considered an additional tool to help detect breast cancer. They said traditional mammograms are still needed, so getting a thermogram could be a waste of time and money.

For Jenn Jackson, it's money well spent to give her more control and if nothing else, a healthier lifestyle.

"Even my husband says, you're worrying too much, there's nothing that can do about it anyway. But it helps me sleeps better at night. It helps me feel better about myself," said Jackson.

Derflinger said Thermography does not take the place of mammograms. She said you still need to get the necessary checkups with your doctor. Right now, most insurance do not cover Thermography. It'll cost you around $200 for the imaging.

For more information on thermal imaging and better breast health, go to thermogramcenter.com.