MRI and Breast Cancer Detection

Big doings for women worried about breast cancer. Based on a couple of new studies the American Cancer Society has given its seal of approval to using MRI for certain women. These are the women who have a gene that raises their breast cancer risk .. brca 1 and brca 2, have a family history of breast cancer, have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer or those who've had radiation treatment to the chest area for a disease like hodgkins.
Okay, but what about the rest of us .. what about women with dense breasts for whom mammography is often not definitive? Well, the problem with saying okay to everyone, says the folks at the American Cancer Society, is that MRI is so detailed it can see problems where none exist - false positive is the term. That would mean so many more women would need to undergo biopsies to rule out cancer. That's both difficult for women and expensive.
Right now it looks like most insurers will cover the MRI for the high risk women. Only time will tell if screening that group proves so effective at saving lives and therefore saving money, that the decision to broaden the MRI scope occurs. In the meantime, if you think there's a problem that mammography or ultra sound is not finding, talk with your doctor - mri remains an option .. but one you may end up paying for.