The breast cancer MRI was considered to be one of the major medical achievements of 2007. It allows doctors to take a better look at what's going on with women's breasts to assist them in preventing breast cancer through early detection. But not everyone should be rushing to get a breast MRI. So who should? There are four types of patients who should strongly consider the breast MRI:
1. Patients who can feel that they have a mass in their breasts but who have taken traditional breast exams and received negative results. The breast MRI can provide more detailed information about the existing mass to better screen for cancer.
2. Women who have a close relative that was diagnosed with ovarian or breast cancer at a young age (under 60) and who additionally have dense breasts which make them higher risk and good candidates for the breast MRI.
3. "Patients with repeated equivocal conventional mammogram reports."
4. Women who already know that they have breast cancer but want to determine the extent of it as well as to check for additional disease in the breasts. This is most commonly the case for women who want to retain as much of the breast as possible while eradicating the cancer.
Talk to a qualified doctor about whether or not a breast MRI is right for you? Question of the Day: Do you get your annual mammogram?
