Breast MRI May Delay Treatment For Newly Diagnosed Patients

One of the most controversial preventive imaging scans that is being regularly discussed right now is the breast MRI. Some say that this is a tool that should be used regularly for certain populations whereas others say that there isn't enough proof that it's a scan that should be regularly implemented into a breast cancer prevention plan. Adding another voice to the ongoing debate about the breast MRI is one study which has found that those patients who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer and who choose to get a breast MRI to get additional information about the diagnosis may find that their treatment is delayed as a result which is generally considered to be a negative thing. The first delay comes from the fact that the first breast MRI must be scheduled and then results awaited before treatment can begin. There may be a second delay due to additional testing often required because of the high false-positive rate of this exam. Some experts say that this delay causes problems in treatment whereas others might argue that the improved information from the breast MRI mitigates the problems caused by the delay. Question of the Day: Is it a problem if the breast MRI delays treatment of recently-diagnosed breast cancer if the result is that the breast MRI will provide more accurate information about the disease than was obtained through a mammogram alone?