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Detecting Breast Cancer Earlier with MRI
What's the best way to survive breast cancer? Find
it early with mammography – X-rays that can find
lumps one to three years before you can feel them.
But if you or a loved one is at high risk, there's an
additional screening that can help find cancer
even earlier – and beat it.Methodist Willowbrook Hospital offers this new cutting-edge screening option: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI is like an X-ray, but it uses radio waves, not radiation, to create detailed pictures of the inside of your body. And it's finding breast cancer even earlier than mammography in some cases. The Methodist Breast Center was the first alldigital mammography facility in the country. Methodist Willowbrook Hospital has the Signa Excite 1.5T 16-channel HDx MRI sytem, which creates exceptionally clear, high-quality, high-definition images. "There are a few differences for patients between the two screenings," says Johnnie Tatum, MBA, RT, (R)(CT), director of Imaging at Methodist Willowbrook. "An MRI can take up to 30 minutes, there is no radiation, and it's not painful. A mammogram takes 10 minutes, the patient receives a small amount of radiation, and it can be uncomfortable." Is MRI Screening Right for You? All women 40 and older should have annual mammograms, and some women should also have MRI screenings. The American Cancer Society (ACS) issued new guidelines last March for MRI breast cancer screening: Women who are at high risk should talk to their doctors about beginning MRIs and mammograms at age 30. To schedule a mammogram: Call 281-477-1900. |
