Hi, thank you so much for your thoughts.... this is a very good point! My dr wouldn't say whether to have the contrast or not. I ended up doing what the technologist had suggested... having the MRI first without the contrast, and then allowing them to look at the images, and after that if they thought there was anything there that could be better illuminated with the contrast, then I'd have the contrast. Ultimately, I wanted to know what was going on, and to be confident in the results.
In case it's of any help to anyone else out there.... As I understand it (based on talking to the technologists), an MRI even of the pelvis and abdomen is still a very good test without contrast.... they can see all substances in the body that can be seen with contrast. It's just that if they see something (without the contrast), they just see if there is 'something' there, but won't necessarily be able to tell if it's a cyst, a tumor, or something else. If they see 'something', that's when the contrast becomes valuable.... since the contrast does something to the blood vessels to make spots where blood is pooling glow. So, if the contrast is added, and that 'something' glows, then they suspect it's a tumor. But if there are no 'somethings' without contrast, then it's not necessary to have contrast - it doesn't really add any more informatoin, since there is nothing to 'glow'. I"m not a physician but that's what I took from my several conversations with them. Thank you again.... this is such a fantastic site.
I have never had any contrast with an MRI, only with a CT Scan.
What do the techs and doctors say about the contrast?
Remember, that they are doing tests that they feel necessary......if the contrast takes a week or so to leave your body, so what.....peace of mind is worth it. Also, think about the child that you have....that child has the right to know that it's mother will do everything possible to be certain that she is in good health.
Tough decision and one that should be discussed with the doctors and techs.
Technically, a biopsy is required to diagnosis OvCa...HOWEVER....there are doctors, technicans that can be pretty positive in their findings with later stage Ovarian Cancer, from test results.