Quickie MRI's???

Kleenex

Quickie MRI's???

Kleenex

Not sure if this is the best forum to ask this, but as I was diagnosed with ILC and MRI's allegedly do a less awful job of imaging this sneaky type of cancer, I thought I'd start here.

After my biopsy led to a diagnosis of ILC, my breast surgeon ordered an MRI for me, to get a second look at the extent of the initial tumor (found by ultrasound - outside the field usually mammogrammed) and also to check the rest of the breast and the other breast for other tumors. The MRI confirmed the orginal location of the tumor, but estimated its size as slightly larger. Nothing else was seen, and I went on to have successful lumpectomy (the MRI was right about the size), radiation, and am now into five years of Tamoxifen.

My MRI's were done in Dallas, at a major hospital's radiology department. Due allegedly to the amount of magnetism available in the machine, the length of time the imaging solution remains in the body, the length of time it takes to do the scan, and the frequency with which someone can be injected safely with the imaging solution, they did one breast one day and then I came back for the other one. I'm not large breasted - 36 C or so, 5'4", about 127 lbs. The first breast took about 75 minutes, the second about 45. This is actual "inside the machine" time.

The first breast surgeon said that the radiologist she worked with preferred the "one at a time" scans from this facility (I'm about 45 minutes south of there, so it was quite the drive, as well) - that they were clearer. My second breast surgeon said that other facilities do both breasts in one day, and those scans are just fine to use.

ANYWAY. Since I'm only 45, my mother and my sister, both in Arizona, were approved by their ob/gyn to have screening MRI's. Both had them in December. They both had both breasts done at one time, and the results were "normal."

The kicker? It took only fifteen to twenty minutes! For both breasts. WHAT?!!! 

I am wondering which of these theories I have is correct:

Is the radiologist in Dallas ridiculously slow, with antiquated machinery? If so, why did my surgeon recommend that facility?

Are the machines in Tucson, AZ, that much more amazingly fast and efficient than those in the DFW metroplex?

Do they do a more detailed scan (every 4 mm, I think, is what I had), when they are looking for MORE cancer in someone who has been diagnosed? And that takes longer?

Is a screening MRI faster? That doesn't make sense to me, because if you're looking for EARLY breast cancer, don't you need to do a more DETAILED scan to find smaller bits of cancer? What would be the benefit of a less-detailed scan?

Were my mom and sister victims of an insurance scam? Did they have fake MRI's, and the insurance company was billed big bucks for that?

Okay, I really don't actually believe that one, but... it's driving me crazy that my two-boob MRI process took a total of about two hours, and theirs took fifteen minutes. It just doesn't make sense!

So, how long did YOUR MRI's take? One boob, or two at a time?

Coleen

Anonymous

kleenex--my breast MRIs (I've had 3) are always done on both at the same time (I've never heard of doing one at a time actually); by the time they get the IV in and get me all positioned, it  usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes total. Mine are diagnostic since I'm high risk from LCIS.

Anne

Anonymous

I also had a both MRI'd and I believe it about 90 mintues to do both but they were ordered as more detailed screens is what the MRI tech told me, so they were expected to take a bit longer....

Earlier in the year I had an MRI done from the waist up for another issue and it took less time than the boobie one so I tend to believe the tech might have been correct.

glendag

I've had one initial MRI after biopsy confirmed cancer.  Mine was done on both at the same time and took about 60 minutes for the whole process (injection and all). 

nash

Colleen, I had one MRI done right after diagnosis and one followup about a year ago. Both were bilateral and both took about 30 minutes.

I am going for another followup MRI next week, this time at a different facility as I just switched oncs, so I will report in on the particulars of that.

karen1956

i don 't remember exactly how long the MRI took, but I think it was around 1/2 hour or so...and both boobs were done at the same time,,,haven't had any more since Dx 2/06.

Survivor07

I, too, had both done at the same time. Took about an hour.

moonie

I have had many MRIs done over the last few years---for breast and other things.  There has definitely been a change in the equipment that results in newer machines being faster.  However, this doesn't mean that the slower machines are 'antiquated', just that the newer machines are quicker.  These machines are expensive, so when newer technology is available, they can't afford to just run out and buy new machines.  It takes time and money.  I have only run into the newer faster machines in the last couple of years.  I think the results are good with either machine.....the only thing weird to me is that they don't do both breasts at once.  Mine were done at the same time.