Preop Breast MRI Detects Additional Cancer, Results in Tx Change

Background: Preoperative breast MRI is performed in order to identify additional ipsilateral or contralateral carcinoma in patients already diagnosed with breast cancer. The idea is to define the true extent of ipsilateral disease and to detect contralateral disease that may not have been detected on mammography and ultrasound. Since initially being recommended as a preoperative study, data have shown that recurrence rates among those having undergone preoperative MRI and those who did not are similar or the differences are statistically insignificant. The majority of those studies were performed at academic medical centers. Objective: To evaluate the impact of preoperative breast MRI on patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer in a private practice setting. Participants/Methods: Patients who had undergone preoperative breast MRI over a 1-year retrospective period were identified. All the patients included had been diagnosed with breast cancer via core needle biopsy within 60 days more...