Two New Reports Support MRIs for Optimal Diagnosis and Treatment
Women who have a high risk for developing breast cancer should have a breast M.R.I. in addition to
mammograms, to get a more complete picture of growths in both breasts. In the U.S., women have an average lifetime risk of 12 to 13 percent, but high-risk is calculated at 20 to 25 percent. Risk of developing breast cancer is increased by having mutated genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53 or PTEN, or who have a family history of breast cancer. M.R.I. exams are 10 times more expensive than mammograms, but will reveal features that are often hidden in a routine mammogram. The American Cancer Society published new guidelines for breast M.R.I. and The New England Journal of Medicine printed a study which documented that women with cancer in one breast can benefit from M.R.I. of both breasts. If all the cancer can be found before treatment is started, then recurrence may be prevented by more effective treatment.
Image: National Cancer Institute, Color-enhanced breast MRI, Dr. Steven Harmes, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas Texas.
Comments
Do you know how to find a Doctor that is in agreement with this finding? My Dr. refuses to use MRI’s.