Using MRI to Follow Previously Diagnosed Women Finds More BC

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Using MRI to Follow Previously Diagnosed Women Finds More Breast Cancers, but Leads to More Biopsies
August 5, 2019
MRI monitoring in women previously diagnosed with breast cancer finds more cancers than mammography, but also leads to more biopsies. Read more...

april1964

i sort of wish that i had had an mri to see if there was anything else going on but my bs was adamant about me not having it saying that there would be too many false positives...

WC3

I think women and men with suspicious lumps or spots on imaging should be given the option of a biopsy if they want one.

marijen

Me too. I am pro-choice for screening and biopsies.

Mavericksmom

I had a very bad experience with MRI years ago therefore there is no way I would try it again.

I was refused a bilateral mastectomy because I was told the cancer hospital policy is not to remove a healthy breast unless BRCA positive. I am BRCA negative but my mother, 2/3 sisters and cousin had breast cancer.

I don't believe in having it both ways. If my doctors are taking the stance that my chance for having breast cancer in my real breast is so low, that they refused to remove it, then they have to support my choice of NOT being screened unless I feel there is something wrong! They may not like my approach moving forward, but they took my choice away, so now they have to accept that I am now following MY plan B!

It is easy for doctors to say “get mammograms, MRI's etc," because they don't see it as a big deal. I get physically ill for weeks before upcoming tests and appointments. I would never feel any reassurance with a negative MRI or mammogram!

I am eating a healthy diet, exercising, following up with my doctors and taking Letrozole. If I feel something is not right in my breast of course I will have it checked out, but I am not going to have anymore screening tests! Looking for trouble is not how I want to live my life

MountainMia

The linked bco post implies that it is about imaging for women with a previous history of breast cancer and dense breasts. It's no secret that tumors are more difficult to find by mammography in dense breasts. Was breast density used as one of the studied variables? The abstract doesn't imply that it was. If not, the results that there is no significant difference in sensitivity of imaging isn't at all meaningful to anyone with dense breasts.

Beesie

MountainMia, I'm with you. The information provided by BCO and the abstract tells us nothing.

One group was followed with mammograms only and the other much smaller group was followed with mammograms and MRI. The MRIs found more cancers (and also led to significantly more biopsies) but the conclusion is that there were no significant differences in sensitivity (ability to detect a cancer) between mammograms and MRIs.

Hmmm. Since the MRI group had a higher rate of cancers found, then there must have been something different about that group. Were they all women with dense breasts? Is that why they were given the MRIs in addition to the mammograms? If so, this study tells us nothing (or at least the summary here and the abstract tells us nothing) about whether MRIs have greater sensitivity for those who have previously had breast cancer and who have dense breasts.

ctmbsikia

Morning-I thought I recently read that MRI was a better tool for women either high risk or having a previous BC.

When I was 1st diagnosed I was told that I would have alternate mammograms and MRIs (every 6 months) and after year 3 (I think) possibly annually. I'm not there yet. It seems this is not the standard of care for everyone? I do have dense breasts, maybe that's why? I agree that abstract doesn't clarify anything.

Get this, in December I get to do both!! Last year (Dec) I got a clear mammo. June of this year I got an abnormal MRI. (BIRADS 3) recommended 6 mo. follow up. It's a lot of imaging but so far I am confident in the interpretations without having to go through a biopsy.

jessie123

I wish they would not lump all breast cancers together --- were there ILC patients in that study. It's not fair and confusing to ILC patients who read that article -- they may refuse MRI's and that can be risky.