National trends and practices in breast MRI

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Breast MRI is a crucial tool in breast cancer diagnosis and management.
• Understanding current practices is essential for standardizing care and improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey radiologists in the United States regarding their current practices in performing and interpreting breast MRI.
• To gather data that can inform the development of professional practice guidelines for breast MRI.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 1,696 active physician members of the Society of Breast Imaging.
• 754 surveys were completed, with respondents providing information on breast MRI performance and interpretation.
• Data collected included frequency of examinations, interpretation methods (soft copy with/without CAD, hard copy), correlation with other imaging, and interpretation of outside facility scans.

Main Results:

• Contrast-enhanced breast MRI is offered by 73.8% of practices, with 62.6% performing at least five examinations weekly.
• Radiologists qualified under the Mammography Quality Standards Act predominantly supervise and interpret breast MRI.
• Soft copy interpretation with computer-aided detection (CAD) was used in 50.7% of practices. Screening breast MRI is offered by 64.0% of practices.

Conclusions:

• Contrast-enhanced breast MRI is now a widely adopted imaging modality in the United States.
• The survey findings offer valuable data for establishing evidence-based professional practice guidelines for breast MRI.