Originally published August 6 2005
Study reveals new breast cancer identifier
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A new study shows that MR imagery has a 90 percent chance of detecting breast cancer tumors.
Measuring the biochemical changes in breast tumors with magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy enables radiologists to more accurately distinguish benign tumors from cancerous ones, according to a study appearing in the August issue of the journal Radiology.
"Adding spectroscopy to breast MR examinations will not only reduce concern over possible missed cancers and unnecessary biopsy procedures, it may also improve the efficiency and quality of patient care," said co-author Sina Meisamy, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research in Minneapolis.
MR imaging of the breasts has a high rate of sensitivity (94 percent - 100 percent) for detecting tumors, but a variable rate of specificity (37 percent - 97 percent) for distinguishing malignant from benign tumors.
The addition of spectroscopy resulted in more cancerous tumors detected (from 87 percent to 94 percent), a higher success rate for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors (from 51 percent to 57 percent) and a greater agreement among the radiologists on their findings.
"Spectroscopy gives us an additional piece of information about the biochemical composition of the tumor," explained senior author Michael Garwood, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and the Lillian Quist - Joyce Henline Chair in Biomedical Research Professor of Radiology at the University of Minnesota.
AT A GLANCE * Standard MR breast imaging is a highly sensitive tool for detecting breast tumors but is less reliable for determining if tumors are cancerous.
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is an association of more than 37,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to promoting excellence in radiology through education and by fostering research, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.
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