| Magnetic resonance breast imaging (MRI) has been | | | | could identify tumors in dense breast tissue, it |
| authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration | | | | couldn't identify minute specks of calcium (recognized |
| (FDA) since 1991 for use as a supplemental tool, | | | | as microcalcifications), which represent half of the |
| besides mammography, to assist diagnose breast | | | | cancers identified by mammography. |
| cancer. Breast MRI is an outstanding problem-solving | | | | The doctors tested 1,909 women who were at |
| technology. It is frequently utilized to examine breast | | | | moderate or high risk for breast cancer, the largest |
| concerns initial identified with mammography, physical | | | | sample ever in use for a survey of the efficiency of |
| exam, or other imaging exams. | | | | MRI scans. Every part of of the women had a clinical |
| According to Dutch researchers magnetic resonance | | | | breast exam each six months, a yearly mammogram, |
| imaging (MRI) could discover breast cancers that | | | | in addition to a yearly MRI scan for four years. The |
| mammograms fail to notice in high-risk women. Their | | | | examiners compared how well the MRI and |
| discovery, issued in the New England Journal of | | | | mammogram identified malignant enlargements in the |
| Medicine, lends support to the view that screening | | | | breast. MRI scans were much better at identifying |
| with both methods might be a better alternative for | | | | breast cancer. The MRI bring into being 71 percent of |
| high-risk women than utilizing either one alone. | | | | breast cancer tumors in the sample, at the same |
| MRI is outstanding at imaging the increased breast as | | | | time as mammograms detected simply 40 percent. |
| well, together with both the breast implant itself and | | | | Beyond the 45 whole cases of cancer detected, the |
| the breast tissue nearby the implant (abnormalities or | | | | MRI establish 22 that the mammogram missed, the |
| signs of breast cancer could at times be covered by | | | | mammogram bring into being 8 not observed by the |
| the implant on a mammogram). MRI is so helpful for | | | | MRI, and 10 were visible on both images. The other |
| staging breast cancer, ascertaining the most suitable | | | | five were detected by means of clinical breast |
| treatment and for patient follow-up following breast | | | | exams. |
| cancer treatment. | | | | Other than its function as a diagnostic tool, |
| Breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an | | | | researchers have been examining whether breast |
| examination that might be employed to differentiate | | | | MRI might be practical in screening younger women |
| between benign (noncancerous) and malignant | | | | at high risk of breast cancer. The majority women |
| (cancerous) lesions. Doing this examination might | | | | under 40 years of age do not need any breast |
| decrease the number of breast biopsies done to | | | | imaging. |
| assess a doubtful breast mass. Even though MRI | | | | |