MRI Urged for High Breast Cancer Risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters 2007) - Women with cancer in one breast should get an MRI scan of the other breast to make sure the cancer is not there, too, the American Cancer Society recommends.

Healthy women at high risk of getting breast cancer also should get magnetic resonance imaging scans, the cancer society said.

The recommendations follow a study that shows MRI scans can detect cancer in the opposite breast 90 percent of the time. MRI found breast tumors missed by mammograms, a specialized type of X-ray.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 1,000 women with cancer in one breast. The MRI scans found 30 out of 33 tumors in the other breast among the women.

The American Cancer Society said women with a genetic mutation that puts them at high risk of breast cancer, called a BRCA mutation, should also have an MRI scan in addition to annual mammograms.

In addition, women with a close relative with such a mutation should get an MRI, the group recommended.

New American Cancer Society guidelines

Who should have MRIs? Women with a strong family history of breast cancer are at high risk of getting the disease. The American Cancer Society says careful analysis of family history by a physician is needed. But the recommendation may include women who have had:

• Two or more close relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, which is genetically linked to breast cancer. Close relatives include a mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and half-sister.

• A close relative who got breast cancer before menopause.

• A family history of both breast and ovarian cancer.

• One or more relatives who have had two cancers — two separate breast cancers or breast and ovarian cancer.

• Male relatives with breast cancer.

For more information:

American Cancer Society guidelines for breast-cancer screening with MRI: http://caonline.amcancersoc.org

American Cancer Society home page: www.cancer.org

What you need to know about breast MRIs

The American Cancer Society is recommending MRIs in addition to mammograms for certain women considered to be at unusually high risk for breast cancer. Here are more details:

Who should get an MRI?

Those with a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes
Those who were treated for Hodgkin’s disease
Those with a strong family history of the disease, such as women with two or more close relatives who had breast or ovarian cancer or who have a close relative who developed breast cancer before age 50. Experts say about 1 in 50 adult U.S. women fall into this category.
Also, a new study suggests MRI is useful for women diagnosed with cancer in one breast. MRIs turned up tumors in the second breast that other techniques had missed.

Why is an MRI necessary?
MRIs are better at showing increased or abnormal blood flow in the breast, a sign of early cancers not visible on mammogram. They also are better than mammograms at detecting cancer in women with dense, non-fatty breasts.

Why should I choose Associated Radiologists to have my Breast MRI?
Some medical facilities that offer MRI lack the expertise and equipment. Associated Radiologists is a good choice for your breast MRI because:

Fellowship trained breast radiologists
Many years of experience performing breast MRI and MR guided breast biopsy
High-field, high-resolution, high-definition MRI imaging

To schedule a convenient appointment, please call:

732-968-5160

Follow the link to the left for more information on Breast MRI

The information provided within this website is not intended as medical advice. It should never be substituted for a consultation with a healthcare professional. Please contact your physician with questions or concerns about your health condition.

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