Ultrasounds and MRIs Detect More Breast Cancer, Study Says

The breast cancer screening debate continues. A new study finds that adding ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) tests to annual mammogram screenings can increase cancer detection in women with higher-than-average risk of the disease.

Researchers from the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analyzed 2,809 women at a “intermediate risk” of breast cancer — women with dense breast tissue and one other risk factor, such as a personal history of breast cancer. About 2,662 women had three annual mammogram plus ultrasound screenings and, at the end of the three years, 612 also underwent an additional MRI screening.

A total of 111 breast cancer diagnoses were made. Thirty-three cancers were detected by mammograms, and another 32 were detected by ultrasound alone, nearly all of which were invasive tumors. Twenty-six cancers were found by both screens. MRI picked up an additional nine cancers that weren’t caught by mammography or ultrasound. And 11 cancers were missed by all screens, discovered when doctors or women found a lump.

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http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/04/ultrasounds-and-mris-detect-more-b...