Marilyn Radakovic, RN, chief operating offer at A1 Medical Imaging, which operates imaging centers in Florida and Georgia, is applauding recent research that indicates MRI is effective in detecting interval breast cancers in women with a prior history of the disease. The research, published in Radiology, concluded that breast MRI has been shown to improve the early detection of recurrent breast cancers that may be missed by mammography.
The study took place between January 2008 and March 2019 and involved 2,809 women with a median age of 47 years who had undergone surgery because of breast cancer. In all, 6,603 MRI examinations were conducted.
“According to the report, the purpose of the research was to evaluate the screening of breast MRI in women with a personal history of breast cancer who might be at more risk for what’s known as interval breast cancers, or IBC,” Radakovic says. “IBC is the cancer detected after a normal screening mammogram, but before the next scheduled mammogram.”
Regular mammograms are recommended to find breast cancer early, when treatment is most successful. However, mammograms may not be the best option for women who are at high risk, researchers say. Breast MRI, for instance, is much more sensitive than mammography and can find invasive breast cancers sooner than mammograms. It can also rule out abnormalities that appear suspicious on a mammogram. Plus, it lacks radiation.
Peter Solodko, A1 Medical Imaging’s CEO, comments, “This research indicates that breast MRIs can detect early stages of cancer better than mammography in women with a past history of breast cancer.”
Radakovic adds, “This research confirms the effectiveness of breast MRIs and provides encouraging hope for women who are at high risk of recurring cancer.”
