The findings of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that magnetic resonance screening (MRI) may be a valuable tool for diagnosing breast cancer. While MRI is a more expensive diagnostic procedure, it may provide a more reliable technique for detecting the disease in the early stages. Some physicians now use MRI imaging in combination with the conventional methods of mammography and ultrasound, particularly for women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer. There are several steps involved in MRI screening which allow radiology technicians to obtain accurate visual images of the breast.
Instructions
1. Schedule a breast MRI for sometime at the beginning of a woman's menstrual cycle. The rise in hormone levels that occurs at certain times during the month can make the study more difficult to interpret. Women who are postmenopausal can schedule the exam for any time.
2. Ask the patient to lie on the table facedown on her stomach before moving the table into the MRI machine. Position the patient so that the breasts fit in the hollow depression in the table. The coils in this hollow area detect magnetic signals from the machine, which create the images.
3. Instruct the patient to lie totally still and breathe normally, as any movement during the procedure can produce blurred images. The study usually takes from 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Monitor the patient throughout the MRI exam.
4. Take multiple images of the breast and then inject a contrast dye into a vein in the patient's arm. The contrast agent helps to produce more detailed pictures of the breast making it easier to see a tumor. Because MRI distinguishes soft tissue tumors from normal adipose tissue, any mass in the breast should look brighter after the contrast is injected.
5. Obtain additional images including front to back, side-to-side, and top to bottom views for the radiologist to examine and interpret. MRI allows for as many as 1600 images to be taken of each breast.
6. Look for breast abnormalities, which may not show on mammography or ultrasound. The visual images produced by MRI are often used to diagnose the extent of breast cancer or to assess abnormal or suspicious areas viewed on mammography. When lesions are detected, and a biopsy is recommended, a radiologist takes a tissue sample by making a small incision in the skin. The procedure is performed in the MRI suite.
Tags: breast cancer, images breast, mammography ultrasound, visual images
