A Better Way to Detect Breast Cancer?
Reported July 02, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Women who are at high risk for breast cancer may want to consider passing up an MRI for a newer, less expensive diagnostic test.
Recent findings suggest molecular breast imaging (MBI) may be a good replacement for more expensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MBI uses specialized gamma cameras to screen for breast disease. Previous research has shown this technique to be highly sensitive to small breast tumors. Unlike mammography, the traditional method of breast cancer screening, MBI detects tumors regardless of breast density.
Researchers analyzed studies on patients who had undergone both MBI and breast MRI within a 30-day period. They compared the sensitivity and specificity of the two methods by looking at tissue pathology or breast status determined after 15 months. They found detection of breast disease by the two methods was in agreement in 47 of the 48 patients. MRI detected 53 cancers in 31 patients for a sensitivity of 98 percent, and MBI detected 51 cancers in 30 patients for a sensitivity of 94 percent.
MBI tests are about four to six times less expensive than MRI tests.
SOURCE: Presented at the Era of Hope Meeting, June 25-28.
