Are MRI scans better than mammograms?

by Brian White (Subscribe to Brian White's posts)
Jun 4th 2007 8:37PM

Just yesterday, a German researcher concluded than mammograms are not as effective as spotting precancerous growths compared to the magnetic resonance scan (MRI).

Mammograms, which are suggested for all women starting in their 30s, have been a staple of breast cancer screening for quite a long time. Is it time to do away with them?

Hardly -- but it is nice to see that MRIs offer a better look at possible precancer conditions. The main problems is that MRI scans are quite a bit more costly than a standard mammogram, but after looking at how much more effective the MRI was at spotting an aggressive form of breast cancer development, it's worth the price.

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Comments (2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Chris 6-05-2007 @ 6:22AM

It is worrying that the numbers of women getting mammograms is going down, and I want to emphasize that getting early mammograms is still important. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051301191.html

Nonetheless, it might be good to point out recent research suggesting that people with family histories of breast cancer may be more susceptible to low doses of radiation/x-rays.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060627105051.htm
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070519/fob1ref.asp (separate study, registration required)

This may make it an even greater priority for some to opt for the MRI scan for early breast cancer detection.

Kadia 6-05-2007 @ 7:31AM

The problem with MRI is that it's unsuitable for a large proportion of the population, especially older people. You can't have an MRI if you have any kind of permanent metal in your body, which might include unremovable piercings, or metal pins in bones (if recent) or any kind of prosthesis or implant that contains metal. Any kind of pacemaker, certain drug delivery devices and so on.

It's also unsuitable for anyone who might be pregnant, and it's unsuitable for anyone who is claustrophobic. It's very expensive and it's timeconsuming to properly screen everyone to make sure it's safe.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be using MRI, but cost is an issue whether you like it or not, and how effective it is isn't an issue if it's not appropriate for a large proportion of the population.