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According to a recent study, MRI is more sensitive than mammography in detecting tumors in women with an inherited susceptibility to breast cancer. Family history of breast cancer or a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene increases the risk of breast cancer and is often associated with the diagnosis at a young age. Screening of women over 50 with mammography reduces mortality from Br Ca by 25%. For younger women, the sensitivity is not as high. The problem is that these high risk women need screening aggressively at earlier ages in order to prevent late diagnosis or advanced stage disease. Younger women have denser breasts making it more difficult to detect tumors on mammography. While MRI will pick up more lesions (some of which will not be cancerous), the result of the study confirms that MRI screening in these high risk women will pick up breast cancer at an early stage. It is a costly test, but in selected cases, is a promising addition to our programs for effective screening . (NEJM 2004;351:438-50) To read more, check out the original story at http://www.nejm.org. << back to main news
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