1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

In the United States during this year alone (2007), about 178,000 women will be found to have breast cancer and approximately 40,500 will die from the disease. There is a 1 in 8 chance of getting the disease and a 1 in 35 chance of dying from it.

Despite these grim statistics, breast cancer deaths have been going down, most certainly due to better treatment for the disease and of course early detection during breast cancer screenings.

A regular mammogram is still the recommended procedure for breast cancer screenings. However, the American Cancer Society is recommending MRIs in addition to mammograms for women who are considered to be at unusually high risk for breast cancer.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is much better at finding breast cancers that a mammogram can miss.
They are better at showing abnormal or increased blood flow in the breast, which can be a sign of early cancers. They are also better at detecting cancers in women who have dense non-fatty breasts. In addition, MRIs have been proven to turn up tumors in the second breast that the mammogram had missed.

However, according to Dutch researchers, who published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 351, No.5:427-437) both the mammogram and the MRI together may be the better option for high-risk women, rather than using either one alone.

A woman is considered to be at high risk for developing breast cancer if:

.she has had breast cancer in the past
.she has a mutation in the BRCA1 ("Breast Cancer 1, early onset") or BRCA2 ("Breast Cancer2, early onset") genes
.those with a strong family history of the disease (two or more close relatives who have had either breast or ovarian cancer)
.if a close family member has developed breast cancer before the age of 50
.women who have been treated with chest radiation between the ages of 10 and 30.

According to experts, approximately 1 in 50 adult women in the U.S fall into this category.

The American Cancer Society and a study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine both recommend that the more than a million women in the U.S, who are at particularly high risk of developing breast cancer, should add MRI to the annual mammogram starting at the age of 30.

The MRI is not perfect however. Sometimes harmless areas are flagged as suspicious, which leads to unnecessary biopsies, causing undue stress and anxiety. They can also miss calcium deposits, which is an early sign of ductal breast cancer that is detectable by mammography. This is why an MRI is not appropriate for a woman of average risk. Experts say that unless a woman is at high risk for breast cancer, there would be too many false-positives and would outweigh any additional benefit.

Learn more about this author, Kate McGee.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Understanding when to use an MRI instead of a mammogram for screening breast health?
We want to hear your view. Write now!