How accurate is an MRI

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turtle42
turtle42 Member Posts: 139
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Had my yearly mammo and they said they saw something on it so they immediately sent me for an ultra sound. They could also see it on the ultra sound but wanted me to have an mri. I had that a week ago and just got  a call from the onc nurse and she said that the mri didn't see anything suspicious so not to worry. The area is in the same place as my scar from the previous lumpectomy and rads. Is an mri pretty accurate? I'm just a little worried since they saw it on the mammo and ultra sound. I really want to be done worrying but I just cant shake the feeling that something is wrong.

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  • sejnboys
    sejnboys Member Posts: 36
    edited February 2010

    I'll just share what my onc told me. She said that MRI is great at picking up things....it will often pick up things that are not cancer, but does not usually miss things that actually are.   

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  • cancer2
    cancer2 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2010

    I had to alternate breast MRI's with mammograms.  I think used together it helps accuracy.  At site of original surgery it will usually show thickening, due to scarring.

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  • cancer2
    cancer2 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2010
    I am one year + past treatment and have just started worrying....  I too was Her2 positive.  Cancer stinks and don't feel bad about worryUndecided angerYell it's all normal; whatever normal is.
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  • TriciaK
    TriciaK Member Posts: 362
    edited February 2010

    I'm her2+ too, and just went through five months of waiting and different scans to find out I'm clear:)

    Bone scan showed suspicious area, mri was inconclusive, pet/ct negative and as the spot was too small to biopsy I waited two months to repeat the mri and the spot had vanished:)

    I think you can safely relax as mri's are fairly accurate and   scarring is very common:)

    Tricia xx

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited February 2010

    My breast surgeon told me (when I was first going through diagnosis) that MRIs are 98% accurate...and of course, for me, that was crap.  My 9mm tumor ended up being 1.8 cm.

    So in my case, not 98% accurate.

    If you are finding anything on other tests, can they biopsy?

    Similarly, my twin sister had an area light up on her MRI and the biopsy showed it was nothing...

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  • makingway
    makingway Member Posts: 799
    edited February 2010

    The MRI I had showed the tumor 5.9 cm. It turned out to be 4.0 cm. The MRI also didn't see any lymphnode involvment. I had one tiny 2mm micrometastasis. I had a friend who had the same experience, as far as lymphnode involvement-hers was 8mm. The MRI didn't pick it up. I think a lot of times the 'hot spots' can just be inflammation.

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  • LoriL
    LoriL Member Posts: 185
    edited February 2010

    I wish I could reassure you, but my experience tells me otherwise. My cancer did not show up on either a mammogram OR a breast MRI. The only test where it was truly visible was on an ultrasound.

    If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, I would pursue a biopsy.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2010

    It sounds like it may be scar tissue from your previous surgery if they aren't concerned. Could they at least confirm that with you for peace of mind?

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  • Chancesmom
    Chancesmom Member Posts: 56
    edited April 2010

    I had a 4mm growth in my duct show up in an ultrasound and a ductogram. My Dr set me up for surgery.  When they did the MRI because the surgeon wanted to see it, it didn't show up, so now she's telling me it may have been debris that went away.....

     My gut is telling me that she's wrong, although I pray she's right.It has all hung on this MRI report.

     How well, will a 4mm growth in the duct show up in an MRI? They found enhanced background shading and are making me go off estrace...As if I didn't have enough stress right now! haha Surprised

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  • nancyh
    nancyh Member Posts: 2,644
    edited May 2010

    From what I understand, MRI is much more accurate than mammo or US.  If they aren't hauling you in for a biopsy, I think you can probably relax.  I had a local recurrence a few years ago in the same spot as my lumpectomy scar and it was caught by MRI (missed on mammo).

    Also, I think MRI's are unable to detect things smaller than 2mm (though my info may be outdated).  So, maybe they give really crisp/accurate images of what they pick up, but they can't pick up really tiny things?  That was how it was explained to me.

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