MRI in preoperative breast staging of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer

There is no consensus on the role, and possible benefit, of MRI in the preoperative assessment of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. It has been adopted into the preoperative assessment of the breast in some countries because it can detect tumour foci, other than the index cancer, that are not identified with conventional imaging. Histological studies over the past 30 years have shown that residual foci of disease can be identified in the affected breast of women thought to have localized cancer. While evidence on the clinical benefit of a preoperative breast MRI is lacking, new findings reported in 2008 raise concerns that the potential for harm might outweigh the potential, but as yet unproven, benefit of MRI staging.3 page(s