Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive, radiation-free imaging test that can be used to detect and analyze breast cancer and other abnormalities. MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to create highly detailed 3-D-quality images that are sent to a computer screen for analysis. To assess cancer cells, breast MRI requires the use of an injectable dye, which travels through the system and is quickly absorbed by tumors and lesions. MRI captures multiple images of breast tissue, making it especially useful in discovering invasive breast cancer in its earliest stages.
Because it takes about 30-60 minutes to perform and may need a contrast agent, MRI is not used as a routine screening tool for most women, but rather a supplementary exam when a screening mammogram reveals something requiring further investigation. MRI is able to highlight details of questionable tissue so that your prescriber and RAO radiologist can examine it in greater detail for an accurate diagnosis. It is also an excellent additional screening exam for women who fall into a high-risk category. In fact, The American Cancer Society recommends that those at high risk of breast cancer get both an annual MRI screening along with an annual mammogram.
Breast MRI is often recommended for patients who:
Need additional information about a mass revealed by mammography
Are considered high risk due to personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer
Have very dense breast tissue that doesn’t show up properly on mammography
Have a leak or rupture of a breast implant
Have a history of precancerous breast changes including atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ
Have a hereditary breast cancer gene mutation (BRCA1, BRCA2 or CDH1)
Have been diagnosed with breast cancer
The Exam
During a breast MRI, you are asked to lie facedown on a specialized scanning table, which has a hollow area designated for breast imaging. The entire table slides into the MRI machine so that the magnetic field and radio waves can surround the breasts from every angle and capture images.
RAO offers breast MRI at our Medical Imaging Center at Windsor Oaks, with all results read in-house by Board Certified radiologists who sub-specialize in breast imaging. Our Women’s Imaging Center, located next door to our Medical Imaging at Windsor Oaks, has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology due to its outstanding practice standards.
Talk to Your Prescriber
If you had something suspicious show up on a screening mammogram, are at high risk of breast cancer because of a genetic mutation or a personal or family history of breast cancer, or are unable to receive mammography because of breast implants or other issues, talk to your medical provider about whether breast MRI from RAO might be an option for you.
