OAK BROOK, Ill., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) enables radiologists to accurately identify tumors missed by
mammography and ultrasound, according to a multicenter study comparing the
three screening methods in women at high-risk for breast cancer. The
findings of the study appear in the August issue of the journal Radiology.
"Women at high risk for breast cancer can benefit from undergoing
screening MRI," said the study's lead author, Constance Dobbins Lehman,
M.D., Ph.D., director of radiology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and
professor of radiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
"Of all the breast imaging tools we have currently available, MRI is
clearly the best at detecting cancer."
According to the National Cancer Institute, genetic predisposition
accounts for five to 10 percent of all breast cancers. Women who are
genetically at high risk for breast cancer need to begin screening at a
younger age, because they often develop cancer earlier than women at
average risk. However, women below age 50 are more likely to have dense
breast tissue, which can limit the effectiveness of mammography as a
screening tool. The American Cancer Society recommends that women with a
high risk of developing breast cancer should be screened with MRI in
addition to their yearly mammogram beginning at age 30.
"It is frightening to be told that you're at very high risk for
developing breast cancer," Dr. Lehman said. "It's important that these
women understand that there is something they can do to increase their
chances of early detection in the event that they do develop breast
cancer."
For this study, researchers at six facilities studied 171 asymptomatic
women over age 25 (average age 46) with at least a 20 percent lifetime risk
of developing breast cancer to compare screening performance of MRI and
mammography in high-risk patients. Each of the women underwent MRI,
mammography and ultrasound.
Sixteen biopsies were performed, and six cancers were detected for an
overall cancer yield of 3.5 percent. All six of the cancers were detected
with MRI, while two cancers were detected with mammography and only one
cancer was detected with ultrasound. The four cancers found in women with
dense breast tissue were only detected with MRI. Biopsy rates were 8.2
percent for MRI and 2.3 percent for mammography and ultrasound. The
positive predictive value (PPV) of biopsies performed as a result of MRI
findings was 43 percent.
Based on these findings, the researchers estimate that, compared to
mammography and ultrasound, screening with MRI will allow detection of 23
more cancers per 1,000 high-risk women screened.
While MRI has been shown to be an effective screening tool for women
genetically predisposed to developing breast cancer, there is no evidence
to support MRI screening in average-risk women. "Although MRI is a very
powerful tool for detecting cancer, it is not perfect," Dr. Lehman
cautioned. "There are benign areas of breast tissue that can look
suspicious but do not represent breast cancer and yet may lead to a
biopsy."
Radiology is a monthly scientific journal devoted to clinical radiology
and allied sciences. The journal is edited by Anthony V. Proto, M.D.,
School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
Radiology is owned and published by the Radiological Society of North
America, Inc. (http://www.RSNA.org/radiologyjnl)
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is an association of
more than 40,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists
and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through
education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
(http://www.RSNA.org)
"Cancer Yield of Mammography, MRI, and Ultrasound in High Risk Women:
Prospective Multi-institution Breast Cancer Screening Study." Co-authors of
the paper are Thomas Claudine Isaacs, M.D., Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, Ph.D.,
Etta Pisano, M.D., Susan M. Ascher, M.D., Paul T. Weatherall, M.D., David
A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., Deborah J. Bowen, Ph.D., P. Kelly Marcom, M.D.,
Deborah K. Armstrong, M.D., Susan M. Domchek, M.D., Gail Tomlinson, M.D.,
Ph.D., Steven Skates, Ph.D., Constantine Gatsonis, Ph.D.
This study was funded by the International Breast MRI Consortium and
the Cancer Genetics Network.
Information for reporters, editors, assignment desks
A video news release and b-roll can be downloaded via satellite.
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Media Contacts:
Seattle/Puget Sound media can contact: Dean Forbes, Seattle Cancer Care
Alliance, 206-667-2896; 206-605-0311; dforbes@fhcrc.org
RSNA Media Relations 1-630-590-7762
Maureen Morley Linda Brooks
1-630-590-7754 1-630-590-7738
mmorley@rsna.org lbrooks@rsna.org
SOURCE The Radiological Society of North America
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Related links:
http://www.RSNA.org
CONTACT:
Maureen Morley, +1-630-590-7754,
mmorley@rsna.org, or Linda Brooks, +1-630-590-7738, both of The
Radiological Society of North America
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