Using MRI to detect breast cancer

Dr Judy Destouet, the chief of breast mammography for Advance radiology, discuss the pros and cons of using MRI to detect breast cancer with the news team from OncologyPodcasting.com.

The American Cancer Society recently release recommendations for the use of MRI for women at high risk to breast cancer. Patients who have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene carriers are at high risk of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer. These women have a 25% lifetime risk of contracting breast cancer and is recommended to go for an annual MRI scan.

However, according to Dr Destouet, MRI is a sensitive but not necessarily accurate diagnosis of breast cancer. She advise that for the general detection of breast cancer, women should go thru the process of doing a mammogram first, after which if need be, an ultra sound and as a last resort the MRI.

And their radiologist should look at all these data and discuss the best option to proceed after all the test have been done.