Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Breast Cancer

At MD Anderson, patients with breast cancer routinely have mammograms and ultrasounds to measure the size and extent of cancer. MRI of the breast is a technology that is better than mammograms and ultrasounds at locating cancer. Although MRI may locate more areas of cancer, it can sometimes falsely identify normal areas of the breast as cancerous. Unlike ductal cancer of the breast (the most common type of breast cancer), lobular cancer is more difficult to see on mammograms and ultrasounds. Therefore, patients with lobular cancer of the breast may be best suited for MRI of the breast in order to more accurately determine the extent of the cancer. In addition, in young women, because the breast tissue is very dense, all types of breast tumors are harder to detect with mammogram and ultrasound and may be better seen with MRI. A correct measurement of the size and extent of the cancer is important because this affects the recommendation for the type of surgery a patient may have. Study Procedures: If you agree to take part in this study, you will have an MRI of both breasts. For the MRI, part or all of the body will be passed into a long, narrow tube scanner, which is open at both ends. The MRI images will be compared with the images from your standard of care mammogram and ultrasound images. If the MRI shows abnormalities not seen on the mammogram or ultrasound and your doctor thinks it is necessary, you may have additional testing and/or a tumor biopsy. This is part of your standard of care. The results of this additional MRI testing will be used by your surgeon to guide his/her recommendations for your surgery. Information like your age, diagnosis, and results of your testing will be collected as part of the data analysis for this study. No identifying information will be sent outside of MD Anderson. Your information will be stored on a password-protected computer. Information may be kept for up to 5 years after the study ends. This is an investigational study. The investigational part of this study is the comparison of the outcome of MRI images to mammogram and ultrasound images in determining appropriate surgical therapy. Up to 170 patients will be take part in this study. All will be enrolled at MD Anderson.