MRI

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AnneWisc
AnneWisc Member Posts: 476
edited June 2014 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
MRI
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  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 476
    edited June 2011

    I see a lot of you talking about the MRI as showing either that there were, or were not, other undetected tumor issues.

    Nobody suggested MRI to me, and I haven't had it.  I have had multiple mammographies, ultrasound, and CT scan, with contrast.  Why haven't I had MRI?  

    My care is through the UW Breast Center, I have to think it is good quality.  Can anyone tell me the theory behind using or skipping MRI? 

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  • Emaline
    Emaline Member Posts: 492
    edited June 2011

    My original surgeon did not recommend a MRI, she went by the book and said over 5cm, multifocal = MX. She told me she wouldn't do anything until I got a 2nd opinion, so she got me in with the doctor she did her residency under.  He said the same things as she did but stated that since I have large breast, they could easily get clear margins.  He hemmed and hawed a bi, went over them and then said the problem was that I have very dense breast and it was hard to get a clear view of what was going on.  So since I already had a DX of cancer and I had very dense tissue, he said I needed an MRI to get a clear view.

    From what I understand breast tissue shows up as white on mammograms and breast cancer shows up as white, so as they say "it is like looking for a polar bear in a snowstorm".  Which is why it is so hard to get a clear view of things with dense breast.  

    If you have dense breast,  I would definitely ask your doctor about it.  When I go back September, I will ask my doctor about it again.  From everything I've read, with dense breast, it is the way to go.

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  • azul115817
    azul115817 Member Posts: 98
    edited June 2011

    My original BS and hospital do MRIs on all patients undergoing lumpectomies or mastectomies, so I had an MRI before surgery.  The radiologist saw something suspicious in another quadrant of my breast, so I then needed an MRI biopsy (4 tries to get it!).  That area was benign.  Strangely, my DCIS, which had been found on a regular mammogram, was not visible on MRI.

    One of my good friends, who is a BS (and later did my bmx), said that she does not automatically do MRIs on her patients because of the high rate of false positives.

    Good luck!

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  • Deirdre1
    Deirdre1 Member Posts: 1,461
    edited June 2011

    My breast MRI was the ONLY test that was positive!  I had had mammo, digital mammo, ultra sound and they were being done only because I was high risk - I had been to a genetic counselor because my daughter's doc asked her to ask me to pursue this course (my father had died from bc) so I could help my children understand their risk.  After doing the "genetic map" she (genetic counselor) wanted me to do a breast MRI and because I had just had a mammo that was clean I didn't expect anything to show up.  But there it was DCIS (early stage).  I understand that many surgeons order breast MRI's for their convenience before surgery - it helps them see with better clarity if they might be walking into anything else during the lump. or mastectomy.  Don't know if this helps but there it is.  Best, Deirdre

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  • sweatyspice
    sweatyspice Member Posts: 922
    edited June 2011

    I found MRI to be a controversial procedure among the physicians I consulted.  Some were for it, some against.  The reason some were against it was that they found the test "too senstitive" and prone to picking up "false positives" - ie turning up things that would look suspicious, triggering a biopsy, which would ultimately turn out to be benign.

    Personally, I found this argument lacking.  I mean, they happily give us mammograms, and when they come back with something suspicious they try to calm us with "Oh, don't worry, 85% of the time it's nothing."  That would be exactly the same situation with an MRI, wouldn't it?  Except that an MRI is more expensive and takes up more hospital resources....so personally, I think it's about money.

    In any case, I did have an MRI and it showed an additional area of DCIS which had been invisible on mammo & ultrasound.  My feeling is if you're going to have surgery anyway, you might as well do all you can to find out what might be lurking in there.

    I'm now discussing MRI in follow up, which my BS thinks is unnecessary. I know other surgeons do have it as a part of routine follow up care.  I'd feel better with it,  but don't really feel like changing surgeons again. 

    Best wishes to you. 

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  • AnneWisc
    AnneWisc Member Posts: 476
    edited June 2011

    Thank you, Emaline, Azul, JoyceK, Deirdre1, and sweatyspice.  Your answers were instructive.  Nobody has said I have dense breasts and looking at them myself, I'd have to say they're kind of flat and floppy (well, I'm 56, they're entitled to be).  So maybe I take real good mammograms.... I don't know.  

    I've already had the lumpectomy but I am seeing on various forums where a person learned they had additional lesions that were not known at first.  If I have them I would sure want to know about them.

    I guess this will be something to ask my RO about when I see her next week.  Thanks. 

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