Breast MRI

Experience and Technology Combine for Outstanding Breast MRI Services

After the American Cancer Society released new guidelines for using Breast MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) early in 2007, public awareness and interest in this technology soared. Advanced Radiology has performed thousands of breast MRIs over the years, and combines its extensive experience with the latest in MRI hardware and software to give its patients outstanding accuracy.

What is Breast MRI and How Does it Work?

Breast MRI helps to detect small lesions sometimes missed by mammography-- without using radiation or compressing the breasts. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to take very clear pictures of soft tissues, so that it can be extremely useful in looking at breast tissue. However, it should not be used routinely to look for breast cancer because it tends to have a high rate of “false positives.” That is, MRI finds lesions that often turn out not to be cancerous. It is also much more expensive than mammography or ultrasound.

“MRI’s sensitivity makes it a wonderful tool for certain groups of women, but it should be used selectively so that it doesn’t create unnecessary worry or needless breast biopsies for women who aren’t at high risk,” notes Dr. Kathleen Standiford, MRI specialist at Advanced Radiology.

Who is a Candidate for Breast MRI?

Appropriate candidates for this test include women with:

Two or more close (first or second degree) relatives with breast or ovarian cancer
Carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations
Past radiation to the chest
Suspected rupture of breast implants
Selected cases of known breast cancer
Selected cases of inconclusive mammography or ultrasound findings

What happens during and after your Breast MRI?

Because the MRI uses a powerful magnet, our staff will carefully screen you to make sure that you don’t have any ferromagnetic metals on or in your body that could interfere with the magnet. For your safety, it is essential that you inform staff of any such objects.
During the procedure, you will lie face down on a special scanning table that allows your breasts to hang into special depressions that contain the breast coils.
The table will move into the MRI magnet and a series of images will be taken over a period of about one hour. You will be asked to lie still while images are taken.
The technologist will provide you with earplugs to reduce the noise, but you will be able to communicate with him or her throughout the procedure.
After some initial images are taken, the technologist will inject a contrast dye into your body to determine if any tissue “enhances”, or gets brighter. Enhancing tissue may indicate a cancerous lesion.
After the procedure, you will change back into street clothes and you may immediately resume normal activities.
The radiologist will provide a report of your results to your physician within a few days.

What to look for in a Breast MRI Center

When deciding where to have your breast MRI performed, look for radiologists with specialized training in MRI as well as experience in reading breast MRIs. The technologists should be certified and the center should have a high strength magnet (1.5 Tesla magnet is considered high-strength). A center that offers specialized software to provide the most advanced interpretation of the breast MRI is preferred.

Advanced Radiology performs more than 700 breast MRIs each year at six of its centers, and is expanding to new sites in the coming year. It offers specialized radiologists highly experienced in breast MRI and certified technologists. Advanced Radiology also uses special software called CADStream to provide the most advanced detection of cancerous lesions, and it uses VIBRANT technology to image both breasts at the same time without a loss in quality.

If you have a question about whether breast MRI is appropriate for you, you should consult your physician. To schedule a screening mammogram or other imaging procedure at one of the 19 Advanced Radiology sites in Maryland, call 1-888-972-9700.