Who should get a breast MRI?
Breast MRI is a highly sensitive test in detecting breast cancer. However, like other medical tests, it also shows many benign findings that lead to follow-up studies or even biopsy to prove a benign nature. Hence it is sensitive, but not very specific in detecting breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that women with a high lifetime risk (20-25% or greater) of developing breast cancer undergo yearly screening breast MRI. This group includes patients with known BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations, patients with a first degree relative with a BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutation who have not undergone gene testing themselves, patients with a strong family history of breast cancer and a lifetime calculable risk of 20-25% or greater (based on statistical risk assessment models), and patients with a history of radiation therapy to the chest between 10-30 years of age. Mira Women’s Imaging does not perform breast MRI on site, but refers patients to a high quality local facility, with whom we wo
