Breast MRI gives women, who are at high-risk for breast cancer, another option in early detection

Health Resources:

- Breast MRI

A woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes, making it one of the leading cancers in women. Now, new medical technologies are giving women, who are at high-risk for abnormalities, another option in early detection.

The American Cancer Society has determined that breast MRI is a very useful exam and should be used regularly in certain patient groups. Their guidelines were published in the ACS journal CA:A cancer Journal for Clinicians in 2007.

Annual Breast MRI Screening is recommended in addition to mammograms for women who meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Dense breast tissue
• BRCA mutation
• First-degree relative of a BRCA carrier, even if patient is untested
• Lifetime risk of breast cancer is 20-25% or greater, as defined by the BRCAPRO*
• Radiation to chest between age 10-30 years of age
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome, or a first-degree relative
• Cowden syndrome, or a first-degree relative
• Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or a first-degree relative

Women with a first-degree relative diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer have approximately double the risk of developing breast cancer and should have a regular Breast MRI exam. This could be every one to two years depending on other clinical and risk factors. In high risk populations, mammography sensitivity drops to less than 50%, whereas Breast MRI sensitivity stays above 80%.

“With breast cancer being the most common cancer in women today, there is a great need to diagnose and treat this disease early,” said Guillermo Salinas, Radiologist at Laredo Medical Center. “Siemens MRI technology has proven itself to be a critical partner, along-side traditional mammogram, creating a three-dimensional treatment options.”

At Laredo Medical Center, women find advanced MRI technologies in the Siemens Medical Solutions MAGNETOM Symphony. This technology uses 3-D techniques that look deep into the breast—regardless of breast density—to discover abnormalities which might not be visible in other exams.

“The ability to cure breast cancers is strongly influenced by what state the disease is first discovered and diagnosed in,” says Dr. Salinas. “Siemens MAGNETOM Symphony MRI system provides another option in detecting breast cancers earlier, ultimately enabling medical professionals more options for treating and curing their patients.”

Paired with mammography, ultrasound and regular checkups, the imaging offered now can give doctors more information than ever before—aiding in early diagnosis and helping women achieve maximum confidence about their health.

Ask your doctor if breast MRI can help you. For questions on the many services offered at the Radiology Department at Laredo Medical Center, call 796-3223.

*BRCAPRO is a statistical model to determine a women’s probability for developing breast cancer. The model has software to determine calculations.