Diagnosed, no MRI?

If you are at all uncomfortable with your doctor or what they are telling you you may want to go ahead and get a second opinion. Most insurance will pay for a second opinion, some even require it for major things. Good luck to you, and I think you will get good advice here, keep reading other threads and others will post here I am sure.

Hi NewDay-

We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We're for the circumstances that have brought you here, but we're glad you've found us, and hope you find the support you need.

Like Erica mentioned, you'll find many of our members were diagnosed and completed treatment without having an MRI. MRI's are typically reserved for screening women with a higher than average risk of breast cancer, to find out more about an area of concern that showed up on your mammo or ultrasound, and to monitor for recurrence after you've completed treatment. Most doctors, unless you meet one of the above criteria, won't order one (and most insurances won't pay for one unless it is deemed medically necessary). You can read more about MRI's and how they're used here: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types....

That being said, if you don't feel comfortable or confident in your doctor, we second Notdoneyet's suggestion about seeking out a second opinion. This is someone who you'll be seeing a lot of, and who will be treating your very serious illness, so you want to feel as secure and take care of as possible!

The Mods

I have never had a breast only MRI. In the 17 days between DX and starting neoadjuvant chemo, I did have full body MRI, CT, Bone Scan and PET Scan looking for possible mets.

Neoadjuvant chemo is becoming more ususal with different types of BC but you didn't mention your type. Until surgery the Stage can not be done accurately.

Hi, NewDay--I never had an MRI at the diagnosis stage, since the mammograms, ultrasound, and ulttasound-guided biopsy all presented clear and definitive results about my IDC. And only this summer, 2 and a half years after surgery did the surgeon order an MRI--because he wanted a clear baseline picture of the seroma that is still at my tumor site when it had shrunk by half (sometimes a seroma develops and goes away quickly after surgery, sometimes not, as in my case).

Let me correct something that Lottemarine wrote, too: an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is NOT based on radiation. As its name says, it uses magnetic fields to create images, not x-rays (this is why a wedding ring must be removed). The contrast dye they inject is gadalinium (sp?)--in my case, brand name Gadavist. CAT and PET scans are both based on radiation, but are different from MRI.

NewDay123 Hi there. IMO a preoperative MRI is a must before any treatment decisions are made. Especially if you have dense breasts and/or are young. I also believe you should be treated at a university based teaching hospital. Where you are treated is a huge piece of the puzzle. Just because bc is common it does not mean all docs are equal or have the same opinion. You would be shocked how many of them contradict the other from facility to facility. Good luck and keep us posted.

"BC is common" - when all types are 'lumped' together (excuse the pun) it is perhaps somewhat common but when divided into the different types (DCIS, IDC, ILC, IBC) they are not all 'common at all or present in the same ration of those who are DXd. IDC is the most 'common' type while IBC is only between 1% - 5% of ALL DXd BCs so not 'common' at all. Some Drs have NEVER seen IBC or very few, while others have a lot more expertise in treating it.

CTs and MRIs can be 'with contrast' or without. Without - it does not use radiation, 'with contrast', radiation is injected or ingested.

It appears that some will have Scans routinely every 6 mths to a yr post TX but not all of us do. The only Scans I've had post TX have been for specific issues that came up - not thought to be IBC related but to be on the safe side and were restricted to the area of issue. Mets always ruled out. The onlytoRI that was a bit of 'routine' was the week before starting Rads was when I saw my Rads Dr immediately before schedules for my 12th adjuvant Taxol. He insisted on a new MRI with contrast so they just rescheduled my Taxol for as soon as the new MRI was done which was cor as soon as I could get there (allI I had to do was go up 2 floors and walk about 400 ft. to get there from the Cancer Center into the Regional Hospital).. I made it back to my last Taxol about an hour and a half. The only 2 'things' that showed up was my seroma which was still 6cm and the developing gall bladder sludge (yes that is a medical term).

Remember - we can only give you our personal experiences - not what you (or anyone else) will automatically experience. We are each each unique and BC is not the same for all of us - so there is no 'One Size Fits All' when fighting the Monster.

hello sweetie i didnt have mri but did have 2nd opinion i had surgery before L mast then chemo after i am now a 21yr Survivor(Praise God) hang in there . msphil idc stage2 Lmast 0\3 nodes chemo n rads n 5 yrs on tamoxifen