Breast Cancer Testing: MRI or Not?
Reported February 16, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — The addition of MRI to traditional testing methods for breast cancer may not be worth the cost, a new study finds.
A study conducted at 45 United Kingdom medical centers shows the addition of MRI scans to conventional triple assessments for the diagnosis of breast cancer had no effect on the rate of reoperation.
“In the analysis, we identified no difference in health-related quality of life between groups 12 months after initial surgery,” study authors wrote. “However, in terms of total costs, results suggested a difference between the two trial groups, with the MRI group costing more than the no MRI group, although the difference was not statistically significant. In view of the similar clinical and health related quality-of-life outcomes of patients in both groups, we conclude that the addition of MRI to the conventional triple assessment might result in extra use of resources at the initial surgery period, with few or no benefits to saving resources or health outcomes, and the additional burden on patients to attend extra hospital visits.”
The study included over 1,600 women aged 18 or older with biopsy-proven primary breast cancer who were schedule for surgery to remove their tumors after triple assessment.
Source: The Lancet, February 11, 2010