Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Breast

Breast MRI

What To Think About

• Access to MRI scanners is not available in all areas. If you need an MRI scan, you may need to travel to a regional centre.
• Sometimes your MRI test results may be different because you were tested at a different medical centre or earlier test results are not available to compare to the new test findings.
• Some studies show that a breast MRI may be a good choice for young women who have a specific gene (BRCA) change that puts them at high risk for breast cancer. However, an MRI may be more likely to report a problem in the breast when a problem is not there (false-positive) than other tests. A false-positive result may lead to more tests and make you worry more. For more information, see the medical test Breast Cancer (BRCA) Gene Test.
• While MRI is a safe and valuable test for looking at your breast, it is much more costly than other methods, and it may not be available in your area.
• Open MRI machines are now made so that the magnet does not completely surround you. Open MRI is useful for people who are claustrophobic or obese. However, these machines are not available everywhere. Also, these machines may not be able to do all the studies needed to check for problems. Open MRI can be used to guide treatments (interventional treatments) or procedures, such as a biopsy.
• Contrast material that contains gadolinium may cause a serious skin problem (called nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy) in people with kidney failure. Tell your doctor if you have serious kidney disease before having an MRI scan.

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Author:	Carrie Henley Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: June 12, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
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