At the U niversity of Wisconsin in Madison biomedical researchers have developed a technique for use with MRI breast scans that may decrease the need for biopsies of suspicious lumps in women who have an increased risk of breast cancer.
The technique will enable radiologists to have greater confidence when visually determining whether a lump may be cancerous or is a benign occurrence. The American Cancer Society now recommends that certain high risk women-those with inherited genetic mutations, family or personal history of breast cancer, or previous radiation therapy to the chest- get a MRI on a yearly basis in addition to their yearly clinical breast exam and mammogram.
During the procedure, a contrast agent is injected into the vein in a patient's arm. The contrast agent circulates throughout the body and into the breasts. Cancerous lesions have a pattern of circulating the contrast agent in and out quickly while benign lesions circulate the contrast media much more slowly.
The ones that leave researchers and radiologists in doubt are the ones that take up the contrast media quickly, but drain it out slowly. Doctors then have to turn to biopsy for a more precise answer.
Yet with crisp clear multidimensional images it is possible to identify the status of lesions visually. Jagged edges are usually cancerous while lesions with round smooth edges are usually benign. Researches have now found a method that will gather the necessary data in a more timely manner than in the past. This technique also allows images of fat and water to be studied seperately, which is important because most of the breast in composed of fat tissue. The boundaries of a lesion will oftern stand out more clearly in fat.
