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According to a new study, the assessment of the extent of spread of breast cancer by MRI does not contribute to improve the surgical planning, reduce follow-up surgery, or reduce the risk of local recurrences.
Even though MRI can help in increasing the chances of more broad surgery over conservative approaches, it need not improve the surgical care or prognosis.
According to trials, the survival rates of women having early stage breast cancer are the same in those who have been treated with breast-conservation therapy as well as those who undergo mastectomy.
Use of MRI in the pre-operative stage in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer helps in the detection of additional areas of cancer that cannot normally be detected by conventional imaging.
The current review was carried out by Nehmat Houssami, University of Sydney and Daniel F. Hayes, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
MRI's detection capability and its impact on treatment was studied by them in detail
After they reviewed all the data that were gathered from the study, this conclusion was reached by the researchers.
"Overall, there is growing evidence that MRI does not improve surgical care, and it could be argued that it has a potentially harmful effect," the authors concluded.
