Contrast MRI helps rule out cancer in high-risk breast lesions for many patients

Many women face a scary diagnosis when a biopsy shows a high-risk lesion. They often need surgery just to be sure. But what if a scan could tell them they are safe without cutting? A large review looked at contrast-enhanced breast MRI for this exact purpose. It examined 479 patients with high-risk lesions found during biopsies. The goal was simple: could this scan rule out cancer reliably? The answer was mostly yes. The scan correctly identified cancer when it was present 91.3 percent of the time. It also correctly said cancer was absent in 68.8 percent of cases where it was not there. In total, only six out of 493 lesions were missed. These missed cases were small, low-grade cancers that might not have caused immediate harm. This means the scan worked well for most people. However, the researchers noted that more forward-looking studies are needed to confirm these results. Until then, doctors should use this tool carefully. For now, this approach might help many women avoid surgery, reducing their anxiety and medical costs.