Indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Brazil

Abstract

Objective:

To describe the indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a referral center for breast cancer in Brazil.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective study in which we reviewed the clinical records, including physician requests and patient questionnaires, of women who underwent breast MRI between 2014 and 2018 at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Results:

The most common indication for breast MRI was as a complement to mammography/ultrasonography (in 43.6% of cases), followed by breast cancer staging (in 25.1%), the screening of patients at high risk (in 17.4%), the evaluation of breast implants (in 10.1%), and the evaluation of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (in 3.8%).

Conclusion:

Although there is strong evidence supporting the use of breast MRI, mainly for the screening of high-risk patients, the imaging method is underutilized in Brazil.

Keywords:
Breast neoplasms/diagnostic imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Early detection of cancer/methods