How MRI’s Can Help Stop Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the female population, which is why it seems so shocking that we don’t do more to monitor the disease. It is recommended that women 40 and older get a mammogram once a year, but that might not always be enough. MRI breast scans can detect more widespread cancer after someone has been diagnosed through a mammogram, this could greatly affect treatment decisions and the survival rate.
What is an MRI?
An MRI scan uses magnetism and radio waves to create a picture of the inside of the body. For patients with cancer, it can show how deeply a tumor has grown into surrounding tissues. For some types of cancer, it can tell whether the tissue left behind after treatment is cancerous or not.
MRI’s for Breast Cancer Patients
A study has shown that 14% of those who had been recently diagnosed with cancer found additional cancer masses with an MRI. 73 of the 285 cancer patients in the study found cancerous cells in a different quadrant of the breast than the original lump found by the mammogram. In the past it has been debated whether MRI scans are effective for detecting breast cancer, but with this new study it seems it can no longer be debated. It is essential for a doctor to have all of the information possible when coming up with a treatment plan. If surgery is performed to remove the tumor, there could be hidden, cancerous cells lingering in other parts of the breast that are likely to spread.
Lead author of the scientific study, Chiara Iacconi, MD, said “patients with clinically insignificant cancers undergoing potential overtreatment vs. patients who may be undertreated is at the heart of the controversy surrounding breast MRI.” While overtreatment can have adverse health risks and complications, it is much more deadly to under treat a cancer patient.
If you are interested in receiving MRI breast imaging, contact Encino Open MRI either online at encinoopenmri.com, or by phone 818.986.4786.
