Breast MRI Detects Additional “Unsuspected” Cancers Not Seen on Mammography or Ultrasoun

	Tweet

Nearly 20% of patients with recently diagnosed breast cancer had additional malignant tumors found only by MRI, according to a study performed at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

A total of 199 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer underwent breast MRI. “We found additional, unsuspected cancers in the ipsilateral breast (the one that had already been diagnosed with cancer) in 16% of patients; we found cancers in the contralateral breast (the one that had not been diagnosed with cancer) in 4% of patients,” said Petra J. Lewis, MD, lead author of the study. “These patients had already had bilateral mammography and these tumors had not been apparent on mammography,” said Dr. Lewis.

“The detection of an unsuspected tumor is critical. These additional tumors in nearly a fifth of patients are tumors that can potentially grow and not be diagnosed until they are much larger—affecting the health and survival of the patients,” she said. 

“This study has been particularly helpful to us as clinicians because it gives us data we can discuss with patients when recommending breast MRI,” said Dr. Lewis.

This study appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

About ARRS
The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) was founded in 1900 and is the oldest radiology society in the United States. Its monthly journal, the American Journal of Roentgenology, began publication in 1906. Radiologists from all over the world attend the ARRS annual meeting to participate in instructional courses, scientific paper presentations and scientific and commercial exhibits related to the field of radiology. The Society is named after the first Nobel Laureate in Physics, Wilhelm Röentgen, who discovered the x-ray in 1895.

Source: American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS)

RELATED STORIES:
Breast density may increase cancer risk   Breast Cancer Race Differences Have Link to Vitamin D Gene   Breast density associated with increased risk of cancer recurrence   Drop in breast cancer incidence linked to hormone use, not mammograms   Shorter radiotherapy works for early breast cancer   Study shows benefit of finding second tumor early   Genes Found to Play a Role in Breast Cancer’s Spread to the Brain   Breast reconstruction can have lasting benefits   ACE Inhibitors May Increase Risk of Recurrence in Breast Cancer Survivors   Breast cancer prevention: Are we making progress?   Intake of Vitamin D, Calcium Associated With Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Before Menopause   Discovery leads to rapid mouse ‘personalized trials’ in breast cancer   Racial Disparities Exist in Radiation Therapy Rates For Early Stage Breast Cancer   Breast cancer treatment offers better outcome to women with implants   Recurrence of breast cancer after more than 10 years is an important indicator of survival   Breast cancer may not change lifespan for older women   Fat stem cells safe for breast reconstruction when cancer is dormant, says Pitt team   UK breast screening information has serious shortcomings   Gene acts as a brake on breast cancer progression   Unsuspected protein determines resistance to breast cancer treatment   Do False-Positive Mammograms Predict Cancer Risk?   Pregnancy cuts breast cancer in mutation carriers

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]