Breast MRI

Saint Vincent Medical group can provide our patients with breast MRI in Worcester and central Massachusetts if their physician has recommended one. This imaging procedure is sometimes used for women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer to help measure the size of the cancer, to look for other tumors in the breast, and to check for tumors in the opposite breast. Breast MRI is also often recommended in addition to a yearly mammogram for certain women who have a high risk for breast cancer, but it is not recommended as the sole screening test because it can miss some cancers that a mammogram would find.

A breast MRI captures multiple images of the breast that are then combined by a computer to create detailed pictures. During this imaging procedure, the patient lies facedown and their breasts fit into a hollow depression in the table which contains coils that detect magnetic signals from the MRI machine. Images are then obtained using radio waves, and the images are reviewed by a radiologist. By using strong magnets instead of radiation, MRI is able to create detailed pictures of the body by taking pictures from many angles, as if the body were being looked at from the front, from the side, and from above. MRI is used to see parts of the body that are hard to see using other imaging tests.

While MRI can find some cancers that are not detected by a mammogram, it is more likely to find things that turn out to be fin. This can result in the patient undergoing tests or biopsies that are not needed. For this reason, breast MRI is not recommended as a screening test for women who are at an average risk of breast cancer.

For women whose physician has recommended it, the caring and knowledgeable breast health specialists at Saint Vincent Medical Group can provide breast MRI in central Massachusetts. Call us today at (888) 353-1932 to schedule an appointment.