Dear MRI Insider,
As the number of women at risk for breast cancer increases -- whether it's due to genetic factors, a family history, or hormone replacement therapy -- imaging must keep pace. MRI has proven to be a useful modality for monitoring these high-risk patients. But performing and interpreting MR exams requires a unique skill set. Add the overall complexity of breast imaging to the mix and a bit of a quandary arises.
"The situation has an element of irony: The radiologists who are most familiar with breast diseases -- the mammographers -- are in a specialty that has not historically read MRI studies, and the radiologists who are most familiar with body MRI are generally not specially trained in breast diseases," wrote Dr. Justin Smith from the Seattle-based First Hill Diagnostic Imaging.
But computer-aided detection goes a long way towards bridging that gap, according to Smith, who specializes in the use of MRI for evaluating cancer. In today's MRI Insider exclusive, Dr. Smith shares his tips and techniques for making the most of MRI and CAD for breast imaging.
This comprehensive article tackles several major issues surrounding MR and CAD, including approved uses, common pitfalls, and how the two can be coupled in clinical practice. You can access Dr. Smith’s white paper here: http://www.auntminnie.com/default.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=mri&Pag=dis&ItemId=58278.
In other MR news, check out our reports from the 2003 American Roentgen Ray Society meeting, such as a crash course in MR spectroscopy, which you’ll find at http://www.auntminnie.com/default.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=mri&Pag=dis&ItemId=58072.
