Clinical Breast MRI Sunday, Nov. 28, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

A majority of community hospitals comply with two common sets of guidelines for high-quality breast MRI acquisition, despite the absence of uniform standards for breast MRI in the U.S., according to a survey of community hospitals published in the November edition of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).

Breast MRI screening of women with only a personal, not familial, history of breast cancer was clinically valuable in finding malignancies for 12 percent of all cases, with a reasonable biopsy rate of 39 percent, found a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Three years ago, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated breast cancer screening guidelines for high-risk and dense-breasted, pre-menopausal women, recommending that this subset of patients undergo breast MRI in addition to annual screening mammograms.

The most effective way to increase mammography screening among hard-to-reach, low-income, insured women is a stepwise intervention method or counseling program, according to a study published online June 29 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The study found counseling increased screening compliance in the target population by 13.7 percent compared to the control group.

Although breast MRI is an increasingly common complement to mammography because of its sensitivity in detecting suspicious lesions missed by mammography, two molecular imaging techniquespositron emission mammography (PEM) and breast specific gamma imaging (BSGI)are moving up the ranks due to greater physiological detail and spatial resolution both techniques offer.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to iCAD for PrecisionPoint, its interventional planning solution for breast MRI that will be offered as an integrated module within the company's CADvue breast MRI image review software.

As more clinical studies tout the benefits of deploying computer-assisted detection (CAD) systems for breast MRI and mammography, the few lingering impediments to widespread adoption seem to be environmental. Low reimbursement rates, unfamiliarity with the technology and the troubled economy remain as potential barriers. However, most radiologists currently using the technology concur that both types of CAD systems add to the accuracy of detecting breast cancer, and therefore, allow for better patient care and almost immediate return on investment.