MRI

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liz011808
liz011808 Member Posts: 21
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hello Everyone,

Last week I saw my breast surgeon, she said that it's going
to be 1 year after my surgery (left mastectomy) so she will
order MRI on my right breast. Because I have invasive lobular
carcinoma, she said that it is mostly bilateral. She wants to
make sure that my right breast is being monitored. I got the
OK from my insurance so I can schedule the exam any day now.

The truth is I'm scared to get the MRI. I've been reading that
being exposed to this can cause cancer. This will be my second
time to get the MRI. How can some exam that should be helping
us with our treatment can also cause us to develope another
cancer. This really bothers me, please advice.

God bless,
Liz

Comments

  • swalters
    swalters Member Posts: 33
    #2
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    MRI
    Liz,
    I have heard that mammograms can cause cancer. Most doctors would say that is not true. I have never heard that MRIs can do the same. What was your source for this info?
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    Options
    Here's what I know
    What I know is not much, but here it is. I believe there is small risk in any of those types of exams because there is radiation involved, but most Drs. believe the benefits of the information you can get from them outweighs the risk because they can show whether cancer has returned and where with a pretty high degree of reliability in most cases (I do not know the numbers). Good Drs. will do the best they can, based on research and their own experience to balance the risk of the number of such exams against the statistical probabilities of the individual patient's chance of recurrence. Before I was diagnosed I was willing to take the risk in order to get Mammograms, so why not keep it up now?

    That's my 2 cents worth, but you are the one who has to live with your decisions and each person is unique.

    best wishes, seof
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #4
    Options
    MRIs etc
    The sun causes cancer, but we need it too! Radiation causes cancer, but for some cancer treatment, we need it too! It isn't as if we have to go in for rads and MRI and Xrays etc etc every day for 10 years, and then are surprised that it was detrimental to our health. Much the same as getting that 15 minutes of sunshine a day for the Vitamin D boost, but not living in a tanning booth or slathering baby oil on our bodies and lying on a beach all day long, every day. There is a reason that the process of making leather is called TANNING! :-)

    I had 2 MRIs as well; my surgeon would not release me as a patient until she was assured that the cancer had not spread to the unaffected breast.

    It is indeed all frightening, and these are not decisions we ever wanted to make. I hope I am not foolish, but I trusted that my Drs all wanted me to beat this damnable disease, and that they would undergo these same procedures themselves if they were similarly diagnosed.

    If you are feeling uncetain, please have a heartfelt discussion with your Dr~ make sure you understand the risks/benefits and become comfortable with whatever decision you make. It is, afterall, YOUR life!

    Hugs,
    Claudia

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