Level 4 Bi Rads, stereotactic Biospy versus MRi

[ameritto]

Hi
I was about to have my biospy performed Friday , I was on the table, breast compressed when they cancelled saying they think an IV MRI will be more conclusive..I have three areas of tightly formed clusters
Can you tell me WHy they put women thru a sterotactic beopsy , rather than just go right to MRi , if MRI is more conclusive? I have had two biospies already
i am done with this!
Help!

[bluebutterfly2222]

Hi again,

I wrote an answer to your longer, more detailed post that you added to someone else's thread yesterday, but since you apparently missed it, I have repeated it here:

I am sorry you have had such a painful and difficult time with biopsies in the past.

However, what you are suggesting in regard to the MRI being able to "find out if your suspicious clusters are actually cancer"  runs contrary to anything I have learned about the diagnosing  of breast cancer!

MRI can SUGGEST whether a lesion is benign or malignant, but I don't believe it can  TELL the difference.  I am familiar with several cases where the MRI  suggested, for example, that there was no lymph node involvement associated with a malignant breast tumor, only to have the surgeon discover numerous positive lymph nodes after sentinal node biopsy and/or axillary dissection.

To my knowledge, only pathological examination of a suspicious lesion can provide a conclusive diagnosis, and sometimes it is difficult to be certain even when the cells are examined under a microscope. In such cases second opinions are sought within the laboratory, or are obtained from outside experts.

Best wishes...

[japdip]

I would say because you have three areas the decision was made to do MRI rather than the biopsy. I would be very unhappy and I would certainly let the Radiology Dept. know this. You should keep in mind that MRI although being a very sensitive type of imagery, a biopsy remains the only test to actually diagnose malignancy along with supplying additional information about the malignant cells present. PLEASE if you have questionable areas DO NOT be "done with this" .... even though biopsies in the past have been benign they may not be every time.  MRI or not I would insist on the biopsy.   Regards ....