MRI as diagnostic tool

cruf
cruf Member Posts: 908
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi All! Just a quick question! I'm a 6 year survivor of BC. Yesterday I had my annual mammo and Ultrasound. Everything looks fine but the MD recommended an MRI also to cover any possible misses from the other tests. She says the MRI picks up more in high risk, dense breasts. Just wondering how many other woman have had all 3 tests or is it just overkill! I would rather be safe but want to know what % of the woman here do all 3. Thanks for everything. HUGS!! Cathy

Comments

  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #2
    CONGRATS on being so long survivor!
    I am only just finished with treatments....but, my long term idea is to get as much as possible...breast ca has a NASTY way of returning...sigh....and my mammos for the last 11 years showed a lump, but non cancer....SURPRISE! Stage IIA invasive into the sentinel nodes!
    But, each doc is different...my onc says she won't do any follow-up scans on my rectal cancer unless necessary...
    Hugs, Kathi
  • LesleyH
    LesleyH Member Posts: 370
    #3
    I had a mammogram in April and asked for an MRI. (My BC never showed up on a mammogram.) I had the MRI a week ago. The doctor is a lot more confident after that. I had to get permission from the tumor board to get the MRI. It is so much more accurate than the other tests. The only reason that it is not done routinely is cost. If your insurance will cover it - Run, don't walk, to the nearest center.

    Hugs.

    Lesley
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    KathiM said:

    CONGRATS on being so long survivor!
    I am only just finished with treatments....but, my long term idea is to get as much as possible...breast ca has a NASTY way of returning...sigh....and my mammos for the last 11 years showed a lump, but non cancer....SURPRISE! Stage IIA invasive into the sentinel nodes!
    But, each doc is different...my onc says she won't do any follow-up scans on my rectal cancer unless necessary...
    Hugs, Kathi

    Poop! Stage IIB, sorry...can't EVER keep my stages straight...sigh...I should be on Broadway with all the stages...hehehehehhe!
    Hugs, Kathi
  • krisrey
    krisrey Member Posts: 194
    #5
    Hi Cathy,
    I just wanted to let you know that the MRI is a good idea. The way I understand it is that Mammo is good for picking up calcifications that could be cancer. However, women with dense tissue (like myself) it does not pick up some tumors. My tumor was right on the surface like a pea and still the mammo did not pick it up. So for now on I get a mammo every six months and an MRI once a year. Both are necessary once you become high risk and both do a sort of "different" job at picking up things.....so if you can, I would get both.
    Take care
    Kris

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