How is MRI used for breast cancer screening? Is it used as an alternative to mammography?
A. MRI can be used for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer prior to surgery to evaluate the extent of the disease and to help plan the appropriate surgery. It is also used prior to surgery to evaluate tumor response in patients being treated with chemotherapy. MRI functions as a problem solving tool when a patient has a lump that can not be seen with mammography or ultrasound, or when mammography leads to ambiguous findings. The usefulness of MRI as a screening tool is being evaluated in clinical trials. It may be found to be helpful for patients who are at high risk for breast cancer, or who have dense breast tissue. Most importantly, MRI is to be used in addition to, not as a replacement for, mammography.
