Breast magnetic resonance imaging

Mammography has long been considered the gold standard for screening breast cancer. Although it reduces the risk of breast cancer mortality by enabling early diagnosis, it does not detect all breast cancers. Numerous breast imaging technologies are emerging as effective adjunctive diagnostic tools when mammography results are negative or inconclusive. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (CE-MR) imaging, in particular, has demonstrated a high sensitivity and has proven to be most effective, especially with patients at high risk for developing breast cancer. This article discusses the clinical applications for breast MR imaging, use of CE-MR for breast cancer detection, and other emerging breast imaging technologies.