MRI is an important imaging tool for diagnosing and assessing a wide range of medical conditions. If an MRI may be in your future, here are six basic facts you should know.

Dating back to the 1970s, the use of mammography in breast cancer screening has proven to save lives. Breast cancer screening has evolved dramatically, however, since those early days of direct-exposure film and the need for high radiation doses. Refinements in technique and technology have enabled doctors to successfully detect and treat more cancers at earlier stages, using less radiation than in the past.[1] Today, radiologists have multiple effective tools available for identifying breast cancers as early as possible to give patients the best chance of recovery.

Noticing a lump or getting a call back after your mammogram can be scary. It’s fairly common knowledge that 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer within their lifetimes.[1] However, only a small percentage of women who are called back after a mammogram are found to have breast cancer.[2] The fact is that there are a number of benign conditions that can create lumps or other features that can appear similar to cancer on mammography images. While some are associated with an increased risk of developing cancer in the future, others pose no risk to a woman’s health.

If your doctor orders a pelvic ultrasound exam, images can be captured in two different ways: transabdominally (through the abdomen) and transvaginally (through the vaginal canal). Depending on the patient and the condition being assessed, either one or both of these methods can be used.

Iowa Radiology is proud to announce the arrival of abbreviated breast MRI, the latest advance in breast cancer screening technology. Breast MRI allows radiologists to more accurately detect early-stage breast cancers, especially in patients with dense breasts. However, traditional breast MRI comes with a high cost that insurance companies typically cover only for patients who are at significantly elevated risk of breast cancer. The abbreviated breast MRI exam is much quicker and less expensive than a traditional MRI, but it can detect even very small cancers with similar accuracy.

National Cancer Survivors Day

The first Sunday in June, we celebrate life with National Cancer Survivors Day. Each year, there is more reason to celebrate as people survive cancer at higher and higher rates. From 1991 to 2016, deaths from cancer plummeted 27%, saving more than 2.6 million lives. As of January of this year, 5% of the US population—16.9 million people—are cancer survivors, 67% of whom have survived at least five years after their diagnosis. To continue this positive trend, it’s essential that we continue to prioritize cancer research and help to ensure that patients get access to the quality care that they need.

A cardiac calcium test uses CT scanning to determine the amount of calcified plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, which helps doctors assess the presence of coronary artery disease and the risk of associated events such as heart attack and stroke.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019, more than 80,000 cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., and more than 17,000 Americans will die of the illness. Approximately 1 in 27 men and 1 in 89 women develop bladder cancer at some point in their lives.

Take Care of the Earth, and It Will Help Take Care of You

Recent research shows that spending time in nature not only feels good; it has measurable effects on our health. This Earth Day, take some time to enjoy the great outdoors and appreciate how nature supports our good health. You don’t even have to head out of town. Simply spending time in urban parks and with the greenery that lines our streets can provide important health benefits.

Although it’s important to be aware of changes in your body—particularly if they may indicate cancer—it’s also important to realize that our bodies go through plenty of normal, healthy changes throughout our lives. For women, these often include changes in breast shape and texture.