Question about what when to get an MRI..

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san4850
san4850 Member Posts: 117
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Does it matter what time of the month you should get an MRI?  My dr. is thinking about having me get them, but she says I need to schedule it no more than 3 days after my period because timing is important.  I didn't know it was.  Since I've been on tamoxifen for over 15 months now, my periods have been so irregular.  Before going on tamox, I knew when I could expect to get my period, and it came like clockwork.  Now I can go anywhere from 1 to 2 months before I'll get my next period.  I'm still premenopausal. 

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited August 2008

    It sounds like from this abstract, they are recommending a breast MRI be done in the first half of the menstrual cycle (days 3-14).  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15982388

     It sounds like doing it in the wrong part of the cycle can mess up how well the contrast  works. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16364583

     But in this study, they didn't find a significant effect. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11599068

    This website says days 5-15. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/518406_4

    I have irregular bleeding too.  It makes it hard.  Probably good to explain the problem to the facility and ask them what to do.  It must be a very common problem. 

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  • FayeFighter
    FayeFighter Member Posts: 58
    edited August 2008

    Apparently it does matter.  I guess they get more effective results.  I went to speak with a genetic oncologist a couple of weeks ago and he scheduled me for an MRI.  The nurse told me to call her when my cycle started so she could schedule the appointment. 

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  • 3boyz2keep
    3boyz2keep Member Posts: 13
    edited August 2008

    Hi there,

    I just had an MRI (two actually) this past week.  They did not seem concerned about where I was in my cycle, however, I was at day 5 and 7 for the MRI's.  I did not get the impression that they would have postponed the test if my cycle dates weren't just right.  I seemed to be more of a matter of "lets get this rolling and done".

    Hope that helps,

    Michelle 

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  • rockwell_girl
    rockwell_girl Member Posts: 1,710
    edited September 2008

    I have a card that I got at a health fair that says you should get it day 5 - 15 of your cycle

    I know the 1st time I had one done they didn't schedule around my cycle due to needing it right away wanting it done before mastectomy surgery

    for me it did show 2 spots to small to clarify so I will be getting another one after I get my tissue expander out

    But my PS wants me to wait at least 3 weeks so my incision heals before laying on that bed for an hour

    I was hoping to get it done a week after my exchange so I could find out my good side is good and get my lift and small implant.  Plus that would work out best for my cycle.  But now it looks like I will have to wait a while : (

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