MR imaging: its current and potential utility in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer

The rapid evolution of the treatment of breast cancer has been paralleled by a similar rapid improvement in the imaging of breast cancer. High-resolution contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the breast has recently emerged as a sensitive instrument for the detection of breast cancer. The sensitivity of MR imaging makes it an excellent tool in specific clinical situations, such as the detection of local recurrence in patients who have received breast-conservation therapy. Furthermore, MR imaging of the breast has the potential to be a powerful aid in presurgical planning and to be a useful adjunct to mammography in selected patients. MR imaging, however, has a significant false-positive rate, is not readily available in all areas, and is more expensive than mammography and sonography. It also remains unclear if alterations of management plans based on MR imaging findings actually benefit affected patients. Therefore rigorous clinical trials are needed to define precisely the exact role that MR imaging should play in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer patients.