Breast MRI

Breast MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast.

To detect breast cancer and other abnormalities within the breast, often when a mammogram fails to provide enough information.

Your doctor may recommend a breast MRI if:

• You’ve already been diagnosed with breast cancer and your doctor wants to determine the extent of the cancer.
• Your doctor finds a suspicious area on your mammogram that needs further study.
• You or your doctor can feel a mass or other lump in your breast, but it’s not detectable on mammogram or ultrasound.
• You’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer before and the doctor wants to monitor the unaffected breast.
• You have a suspected leak or rupture of a breast implant.
• You’re at high risk of breast cancer, defined as a lifetime risk of 20 to 25 percent or greater, a number that takes your family history and other factors into consideration.
• You have a strong family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer.
• You have very dense breast tissue and your prior breast cancer wasn’t detected on mammogram.
• You have a history of precancerous breast changes, a strong family history of breast cancer and dense breast tissue

A breast MRI captures multiple pictures of your breast. These images are combined electronically to generate detailed pictures for interpretation by the radiologist.

Don’t wear anything metallic during the MRI. Metallic objects, such as necklaces, hairpins and watches, can be damaged during an MRI. Leave metallic objects at home or remove them before your MRI. You’ll also need to discuss with your doctor:

• Your menstrual cycle. The MRI facility may prefer to schedule your MRI at a certain point during your menstrual cycle, around days 7 to 14. Let the doctor or nurse know where you are in your cycle so that optimal timing for the breast MRI can be arranged.
• Allergies. Most MRI procedures use a dye to make the images easier to interpret. The dye is usually given through a vein in your arm. Tell your doctor about any allergies to avoid complications with the dye.
• Kidney problems. A dye commonly used to enhance MRI images called gadolinium can cause serious complications in people with kidney problems. Tell your doctor if you have a history of kidney problems.
• Implanted devices. If you have an implanted medical device, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, implanted drug port or artificial joint, tell your doctor before your MRI.

When you arrive for your appointment, a member of your health care team will give you a gown and a robe to wear. You’ll receive instructions on removing clothing and jewelry during the test. A contrast agent (dye) may be injected into your veins through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm to enhance the appearance of tissues or blood vessels on the MRI pictures. If you have trouble being in small, confined spaces, tell your doctor. You may be given a mild sedative.

The MRI machine has a large, circular opening. During the procedure, you will lie face down on a padded scanning table. Your breasts fit into a hollow depression in the table, which contains coils that detect magnetic signals from the MRI machine. The table then slides into the opening of the machine.

The MRI machine creates a magnetic field around you, and radio waves are directed at your body. You won’t feel the magnetic field or radio waves, but you may hear loud tapping and thumping sounds coming from inside the machine. Because of this, you may be given earplugs.

During the test, the technologist monitors you from another room. You can speak to the technologist through a microphone. You’ll be instructed to breathe normally but to lie as still as possible. The procedure may take 30 minutes to one hour.

A radiologist will review the images from your breast MRI, and a member of your care team will contact you to discuss the results of the test.