Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Breast

Breast MRI

Why It Is Done

An MRI of the breast is done to:

• Find breast cancer. Most often, an MRI is used to check breast lumps found during a physical examination, ultrasound, or mammography.
• Check women who have dense breast tissue.
• 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 inverted nipples for any sign of breast cancer.
• Find a breast implant rupture. MRI of the breast is the best test for this purpose.
• Look at a suspicious area of the breast for women with breast implants.

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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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