MRI Breast Coil: Dramatic new technology
by Kathy Hagood
Wuestoff Health System recently enhanced its ability to diagnose
difficult-to-detect breast tumors in high-risk patients with the
addition of two new technologies, the MRI Breast Coil and Ethicon Biopsy
Probe.
The new MRI Breast Coil and its
accompanying software works in conjunction with MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging) equipment at Wuestoff’s Medical Center Rockledge to spot small
tumors that can be missed by mammogram and ultrasound tests.
If a suspect tumor is
detected, the biopsy probe is used with a special viewing station and
imaging for exact placement of the biopsy needle to determine if a small
tumor is benign or malignant.
Catching cancerous tumors when they are
small allows for less-burdensome treatment options and a better
prognosis, says Dr. Paul Isenbarger, M.D., radiologist and chief of
interventional radiation for Wuestoff Health System.
The MRI Breast Coil technology is
especially useful in detecting small tumors in women with dense breasts,
which are composed of more connective and epithelial tissue and less fat
than less dense breasts.
“We used this technology to test my
mother, who had had breast cancer four years ago, and found a small
tumor that had been missed by both a mammogram and ultrasound,” Isenbarger says.
Isenbarger’s mother, Margot Jensen, now
is undergoing hormonal treatment to keep the tumor in check.
“A mammogram and ultrasound are both
important tests that can’t be replaced by a MRI Breast Coil test, but
the MRI Breast Coil is better for detecting smaller tumors in many
cases,” Isenbarger says. “It’s important to use these tests in
conjunction, especially for high-risk patients.”
Mammograms, unlike the MRI Breast Coil,
for example, can detect calcifications, which are footprints for
cancerous tumors.
The American Cancer Society recommends
women with a high-risk for breast cancer receive annual MRI tests as
well as mammogram and ultrasound tests. High-risk women include those
who have previously had breast cancer or have a mother or a sister with
breast cancer.
Dr. Isenbarger pushed for the new MRI
Breast Coil technology after first learning about it at a conference
several years ago.
Some insurers will pay for
the MRI Breast Coil test for high-risk patients. The cost for the test
for those who self pay is approximately $1,500.
Because the MRI Breast Coil test is
more sensitive, there’s an increase in the number of biopsies that show
the suspect tumor to be benign, Dr. Isenbarger says.
“Anytime a test is more sensitive there
will be more false positives,” he says.
The best time for pre-menopausal women
to be tested is between the 7th and 14th day after
their monthly cycle.
Women who have a pacemaker or any other
embedded electronic device are not candidates for the MRI Breast Coil
test. A sedative can be prescribed for women who are concerned they may
become claustrophobic during the enclosed MRI test.
Previously women tested
with the breast coil technology elsewhere in Brevard had to travel to
Orlando or another large city for a combination of retesting with a
breast coil and a biopsy if a suspect tumor was found, says Gordon
Hessie, diagnostic imaging director for Wuestoff Health System.
“The new technology is a
great windfall for those who would otherwise have to travel for their
testing and biopsy,” Hessie says.
The addition of the new
technology was made possible by the Wuesthoff Health System Foundation
through funds raised at the 2006 fifth annual Wuesthoff Foundation Gala
event. The cost of the equipment was about $180,000.