The results of a relatively small study of magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy,at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York show the need for biopsy to be reduced by 58 percent(
http://www2.rsna.org/pr/target.cfm?ID=279 ).
If larger trials confirm this finding near perfect sensitivity, no false negatives & few false positives would make many suspicious lesions identified properly without the necessity of biopsy confirmation.
In the related field of nuclear imaging, a study in Belgium, indicates that very early detection of the efficacy of anti estrogen treatments can be achieved with great accuracy using a different radioactive marker in standard PET scans.
Nuclear Medicine Imaging Allows Prediction Of Breast Cancer Patients' Response To Hormonal Treatment
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0119231641.htm
(A similar study is underway in the US).
If & when this new PET scan becomes available, it will not only enable to monitor anti estrogen treatments but perhaps by comparing with standard whole body PET scan it may show which lesions are not improving & thus require other treatments such as Herceptin without incurring long delays in decision making.
This could be especially beneficial in the case of the transition of Tamoxifen from efficacy to resistance since prolonging the taking of this drug beyond resistance may promote the progress of the more agressive HER+ cancer.