MRI and Mammograms on Breast Cancer
MRI and mammograms on breast cancer are used to screening the breast cancer disease. Breast cancer is a disease that is all-too widespread in our society. It is a disease the kills thousands every year, and many cases are diagnosed every day. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to helping treat the disease; the longer that it is present, the greater the risk that it will be incurable. To that end, it is of the extreme importance that women regularly get screened for the possibility of breast cancer. That brings forth a debate, however; should mammograms or Magnetic Resonance Imaging be used to weigh a woman’s risk?
New studies have shown that a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer may be increased due to mammograms. X-rays are used in a mammogram, and radiation that is used in the process may be responsible for the gene mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Ionizing Radiation in X-Rays
Ionizing radiation is the type of radiation present in x-rays, and it can also be found in nuclear fallout. While the risk of developing the gene mutation from these small doses of radiation is small, it still poses a problem that needs to be addressed. These mutations, while relatively rare, greatly enhance a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. The mutations can be hereditary, and for that reason, women that have the mutations run a large chance of passing the mutation onto their children.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Between 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancer cases that are diagnosed are because of an inheritance of the gene abnormality. For these reasons, Magnetic Resonance Imaging is now being considered when it comes to helping diagnose the disease. The MRI process is not perfect; as a matter of fact, it can be very hard to read for doctors, and many false-positive diagnoses have been performed due to a lack of sufficient information from the MRI. These false positives often result in needless biopsies, which can source much mental and physical trauma on the part of the patient.
MRI and Mammograms on Breast Cancer: Experts Suggestion
So, what’s the solution? Doctors are still uncertain. While mammograms may cause problems in a small portion of the population, there is the risk of unnecessary biopsies because of MRIs. While there is no scientific agreement when it comes to which screening process a woman should have, there are some simple suggestions laid out by experts in the field.
- Women that are known to be carriers of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations should do their best to avoid x-rays of the chest. Getting mammograms prior to age 35 may not be the best idea for this small part of the population, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging may be a better solution for diagnosis.
- Women that do not have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are often encouraged to go through the regular mammogram process. While the risk of developing the mutation may be present, mammograms are more efficient at properly diagnosing the possibility of breast cancer.
This advice is merely a starting point for the research that you should do when determining which type of screening you should get. Be sure to study both options carefully before deciding what is right for your body.
