The Breast MRI has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1991 for use as a supplemental tool, in addition to mammography, to help diagnose breast cancer. Breast MRI uses Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look exclusively at the breast. It is a non-invasive procedure that physicians can use to determine what the inside of the breast looks like without having to do surgery or compress the breast, as in a mammogram. Each exam produces hundreds of images of the breast that are then read by a radiologist. No radioactivity is involved, and in most cases, the technique is believed to have no health hazards.
The procedure for an MRI of the breast involves the patient lying on her stomach with both breasts hanging freely into a cushioned recess containing the breast coil. The entire bed on which she is lying is advanced into the MRI machine open at both ends. Anyone can have a breast MRI, but mostly, patients are women who already have a cancer diagnosis and plan to have surgery or chemotherapy followed by surgery, or those with a suspicious lump or mammogram, who are also going on to have a biopsy or surgery. Women may also be candidates if they have dense breasts, implants, or scar tissue from previous breast surgery, which may prevent mammography from providing a sufficient picture of the breast.
For more information or a referral for a Breast MRI, please contact your primary physician.