Posted on 09/18/2004 3:03:52 PM PDT by neverdem
CHICAGO, Sept 14 - Women with a high genetic risk of breast cancer run a better chance of having it detected with magnetic resonance imaging than with mammography or other methods, a new study has found.
The kind of breast cancer involved is caused by mutations of the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, an occurrence believed responsible for 5 percent to 10 percent of all breast cancer cases. Women with the mutations, which can be detected through blood tests, have a significantly higher risk of breast cancer.
The research, being published in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, was done by a team at Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre in Canada. It involved 236 women, ages 25 to 65, who had the mutations and who underwent annual screenings by all methods from 1997 to 2003.
The researchers found that 17 cancers in the group were detected by magnetic resonance imaging, compared with 8 by mammography, 7 by ultrasound and 2 by semiannual clinical breast examinations.
"Our results support the position that M.R.I.-based screening is likely to become the cornerstone of breast cancer surveillance for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers,'' the report said, though adding that "it is necessary to demonstrate that this surveillance tool lowers breast cancer mortality before it can be recommended for general use.''
ping
That was mammoriffic! ;-)
Clean Up on Aisle 4!
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