We all know that mammograms are the main method for detecting breast cancer. However, mammograms are not the perfect screening tool as they do miss cases on occasions. Thus, there has been a lot of interest lately in using MRI as screening tools for Breast Cancer. Some studies have shown that MRI’s can detect additional lesions that are not visible on Mammograms in as much as 27-37% of patients. 1

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the accuracy of breast MRI in detecting breast cancer in patients with suspicious mammographic or clinical findings.2 What they found was that the “breast MRI has a high sensitivity but only a moderate specificity independent of breast density, tumor type, and menopausal status.” This is just technical language for saying that the MRI is a good screening test but would still need to be followed up by a biopsy to get a definitive answer.
My only problem at the moment with the MRI is the cost! As the price comes down, I think this will someday replace mammograms as the screening tool of choice.

REFERENCES
1. Liberman L, et al. MR imaging of the ipsialteral breast in women with percutaneously proven breast cancer. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003;180:901-910.
2. Bluemke D, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Breast Prior to Biopsy. JAMA. 2004;292:2735-2742.