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Ph: (800) 462-1098 | (541) 608-0350 Email: |
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Additional useful resources:
An excellent breast cancer resource site is the Susan G. Komen web site. It provides comprehensive information on every aspect of breast cancer including “Questions to Ask the Doctor”, PDF Downloads and an interactive audiovisual program which will enable you to better understand the development of breast cancer, the risk factors, diagnosis and prognostic factors and treatment options. This resource is available in English and Spanish.
The American Cancer Society also provides a wealth of information on all forms of cancer.
The Imaginis site is also an excellent resource web site and covers areas relating to breast cancer such as prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment. It also covers related women's health topics such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and ovarian cancer.
Women and Cancer magazine is an excellent publication and offers free subscriptions for women with any form of cancer. The publication offers women an in-depth resource covering prevention, management, and wellness issues related to cancer.
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New guidelines, from the American Cancer Society recommend MRI scans in addition to your annual mammograms starting at age 30 for high-risk women. The high-risk group includes women who are prone to breast cancer because they have certain genetic mutations, BRCA1 or BRCA2, or those whose mothers, sisters or daughters carry those mutations, even if the woman herself has not been tested. These mutations are not common — they cause less than 10 percent of all breast cancers — but they greatly increase a woman’s risk, to 36 percent to 85 percent. Others at high risk include women from families in which breast cancer is common, especially in their close relatives, even if no genetic mutation has been identified. Women and their doctors can estimate their odds by using a risk calculator that factors in the medical history of both the woman and her family. A simple calculator is available from the National Cancer Institute and can be found at http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/. An MRI is a non-invasive procedure that doctors can use to determine what the inside of the breast looks like without surgery. A breast MRI highlights tumors through the use of a contrast agent or dye, which, when injected into the bloodstream highlights the dense blood vessel network associated with tumors. Each exam produces hundreds of images of the breast, Breast MRI does not replace standard screening and procedures such as clinical and self exams, mammograms, fine needle aspirations or diagnostic biopsies. Learn more about Preparing for your breast MRI. |
Breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a relatively new application of advanced MRI technology which greatly improves a doctor's ability to detect, diagnose and appropriately treat breast cancer. Breast MRI is often used to confirm or explain areas of concern detected by mammography, physical exam, or other imaging exams. The technology is highly sensitive to small abnormalities that can go unnoticed by mammography or ultrasound. Breast MRI can typically detect breast cancers to approximately 3 to 5 mm in diameter (the size of a pea), even when mammograms or physical examinations are normal.
cross-sectional in all three directions (side-to-side, top-to-bottom, front-to-back). Because an MRI exam provides breast images from multiple angles, the results can be extremely useful in diagnosing and treating breast cancer, as well as for patient follow-up after breast cancer treatment. MRI is also useful when imaging dense breast tissue, which is common in younger women, and when imaging breasts with implants.
A sample image can be seen by