Background Information

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Early diagnosis and treatment lead to the most successful management of breast cancer. Mammography remains the imaging study of choice for screening for breast cancer. However, mammography has limitations. 10 to 15% off all breast cancers are not seen on a screening mammogram.

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Breast MRI's are medical tests that use a magnetic field, a computer and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the breasts that help in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. MRI's have been used safely for decades and do not require the use of x-rays. There is no special preparation required. However, if you are a menstruating female, the test needs to be performed in the first half of your menstrual cycle for the most accurate results.

Breast MRI Indications

Breast MRI is a very sensitive, relatively new technique that identifies most, but not all breast cancers. It does not replace mammography. Breast MRI is used in conjunction with mammography to provide additional valuable information for the detection and characterization of breast disease.

Some of the more common indications for breast MRI include:

Breast cancer staging: Extent of disease evaluation prior to breast conservation surgery or mastectomy
Contralateral breast examination in patients with breast malignancy: MRI can detect unsuspected disease in the opposite breast in at least 4-5% of breast cancer patients. Often, with negative mammography and physical examination.
Lesion characterization: When conventional breast imaging studies such as mammography, ultrasound or physical examination are inconclusive for the presence of breast cancer
Monitoring chemotherapy treatment: To evaluate chemotherapeutic response and the extent of residual disease prior to surgical treatment
Evaluating patients with positive surgical margins for residual disease: to help determine which patients could be effectively treated by re-excision or whether a mastectomy is required due to the presence of more extensive disease.
Silicone and non-silicone breast implant evaluation: Evaluating breast implants for rupture and detecting cancer in women with breast implants
Evaluating post-operative scar versus tumor recurrence
Occult breast cancer: Locating the very small, undiagnosed breast cancer (occult cancer) when a malignant axillary node is found and the origin cannot be determined with mammography or physical examination.
Surveillance of high risk patients: Breast cancer screening in patients with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer

Screening breast MRI is not recommended at the current time in the general population of asymptomatic women.

Possible Contraindications

Possible contraindications to breast MRI may include, but are not limited to, cardiac pacemakers, brain aneurysm clips, metal implants neurostimulators or cochlear implants.

Pregnant and breast feeding women are not candidates for breast MRI. Speak to your doctor.

Visiting the Westchester Dedicated Breast MRI

Westchester Dedicated Breast MRI is a women’s imaging center with an Aurora high field strength 1.5 Tesla MRI. Unlike other MRI machines, this MRI is only used for breast imaging and has been specifically designed for comfort. Also unlike other machines, both breasts are routinely evaluated at the same time.

During the examination you will lie on your stomach. Unlike mammography, for routine breast MRI, there is no breast compression so you should not experience any discomfort. You enter our machine feet first which reduces the feeling of claustrophobia sometimes associated with full body scanners. You will receive an injection through a small intravenous catheter of a contrast agent called gadolinium. This highlights various structures in the breast and it is extremely rare to have a serious reaction. The entire examination usually takes approximately 45 minutes. The examination is then read by one of the excellent, caring, board certified radiologists of Westchester Dedicated Breast MRI.

If a lesion is found on the MRI but not seen on mammography or ultrasound, on-site MRI guided biopsies or wire/clip localization prior to surgical biopsy can be performed in our state-of-the-art facility of the Westchester Dedicated Breast MRI.