TEST ACRONYM

FULL TERMINOLOGY

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

DEFINITION

MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is a technology that uses magnets and radio waves to produce detailed cross-sectional images of the inside of the body. MRI does not use x-rays, so it does not involve any radiation exposure.

WHEN TEST WOULD BE PERFORMED

Breast MRI has a number of different uses for breast cancer, including:
• Find breast canccer. Most often, an MRI is used to check breast lumps found during a physical examination, ultrasound, or mammography
• Check high-risk women. MRI may be recommended as a screening tool for very high-risk women, such as those who test positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, or who have two or more close family members who have had breast or ovarian cancer before age 50.
• Check women who have dense breast tissue.
• Check the opposite breast. MRI is sometimes used to evaluate the opposite breast in women diagnosed with certain types of breast cancer.
• Gathering more information about an area of suspicion found on a mammogram or ultrasound
• Monitor for recurrence after treatment
• See what stage of breast cancer is present so the best treatment can be chosen.
• Look at breast tissue changes during treatment for breast cancer.
• Check breasts with inverted nipples for any sign of breast cancer.

INFORMATION VALUE

• MRI has been shown to detect small breast lesions that are sometimes missed by mammography.
• MRI has proven valuable in diagnosing a broad range of conditions, including detecting and staging breast cancer, particularly when other imaging studies (mammography, ultrasound, etc.) fail to provide adequate information.

CAUTION

MRI of the breast cannot always distinguish between cancer and benign breast disease, leading to a false positive result. A false positive is a test result that indicates cancer when there is in fact no cancer present.