169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY
Phone: 607-798-6161
Lourdes is pleased to remain on the cutting edge of cancer
detection and diagnosis by offering Breast MR (Magnetic
Resonance). MR is a non-invasive procedure that uses magnets
and radio waves to produce a picture of the inside of the
body. This test is not painful, and there is no harmful
radiation involved. It is usually done for breast cancer
staging or for evaluating implants. Breast MR is now
recommended by the American Cancer Society for:
- women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation.
- women with a strong family history of breast cancer (parent,
sibling, child).
- women with cancer detected in one breast.
- women who had radiation to the chest between the ages of 10 and
30.
- women who have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or
Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalca syndrome, or may have one of these
syndromes based on a history in a first-degree relative.
MR is also useful in imaging dense breast tissue, which is often
found in younger women, and in viewing breast abnormalities that
can be felt but are not visible with conventional mammography or
ultrasound. In general, MR is a compliment
to a diagnostic mammogram and does not replace screening
mammography.
During an MR of the breast, the patient lies on her stomach on
the scanning table. The breast protrudes into a depression in
the table, which contains coils that detect the magnetic
signal. The table is moved into a tube-like machine that
contains the magnet. After an initial series of images has
been taken, the patient may be given a contrast agent intravenously
(by injection into a vein). The contrast agent is not
radioactive; it is used to improve the visibility of the breast
tissue. Additional images are then taken. The imaging
session takes about 30 minutes.
Although not a replacement for traditional mammography, the new
American Cancer Society guidelines recommend Breast MR screenings
in addition to mammograms for women at high risk. High risk women
include those who have a strong family history of breast cancer,
those who have been diagnosed with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, or
those who have already found cancer in one breast with mammography
or ultrasound. Breast MR can be used in high-risk women when the
findings of a mammogram or ultrasound are inconclusive because of
dense breast tissue or there is a suspected abnormality that
requires further evaluation. It is commonly used to
evaluate for surgical planning; as many as 10% of women with
breast cancer develop a new tumor in the opposite breast, even
though nothing is found when they are checked with mammograms and
physical exams at the time of their original diagnosis. Finding
these cancers earlier could help women make treatment decisions
(some women with cancer in just one breast opt to have both breasts
removed as a precaution), and might spare them from extra rounds of
surgery and chemotherapy later.
A referral is needed for this
procedure. To determine if a breast MR is right for you,
contact your health care provider.
