MRI Breast Cancer Study & MRI Health Risks

August 21st, 2009. By AbiK

The American Cancer Society’s CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians just published (8/13/09) the findings from a study done on the use of MRI with early stage breast cancer patients.

Given: MRI health risks have been in the news given contrast agent gadolinium’s association with the potential for NSF (Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis).

Given: It’s been in vogue (if breast cancer can ever be) to have an MRI as part of the diagnostic process for breast cancer.

Those two givens are the baseline I’m working with as I read the findings from this just-released study. The study, conducted by American and Australian researchers, Nehmat Houssami, MBBS, PhD (Sydney, Australia) and Daniel F. Hayes, MD (Ann Arbor, MI), finds that early-stage breast cancer patients who have pre-operative MRI, may actually undergo more extensive surgery as a result and the researchers say that the more agressive treatment does not necessarily correlate to improved care or patient outcomes.

Interestingly, according to the abstract of the study (caonline.amcancersoc.org), the researchers found that:

Evidence consistently shows that MRI changes surgical management, usually from breast conservation to more radical surgery; however, there is no evidence that it improves surgical care or prognosis.

No one is ready to walk away from MRI just yet for breast cancer detection—and undoubtedly many women are probably of the mindset that more diagnostically is better when it comes to breast cancer detection and a subsequent plan of action. But given the risks associated with the commonly used MRI contrast agent, gadolinium, it does make you wonder.

Tags: MRI Health Risks

This was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 8:25 pm and is filed under Drugs/Medical . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.