Iowa Radiology Blog

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are frequently used by medical professionals to visualize internal body structures. Both technologies are capable of producing detailed three-dimensional images, and both play vital roles in patient care. While CT uses X-rays to create images, MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves. Which type of imaging a doctor chooses depends on what information they’re seeking, how soon they need it, and the patient’s personal medical history. Below are a few considerations doctors take into account when deciding which to use.

When should mammography begin?

In recent years, differing guidelines for mammography screening offered by various groups of medical professionals have sparked confusion among patients. With a range of professional opinions, it can be hard to discern which advice is best. When weighing advice on breast cancer screening, it makes sense to look to leaders in breast cancer detection and treatment.

Continuing a Tradition of Exceptional Service

Iowa Radiology has always been committed to providing exceptional service to our patients and our community. In keeping with that commitment, we are proud to announce our voluntary three-year accreditation with the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Iowa Radiology achieved this accreditation in partnership with the John Stoddard Cancer Center and UnityPoint Health. To attain accreditation, a breast center must demonstrate compliance with NAPBC’s high standards, determined by an assessment of the center’s clinical services, leadership, research, professional education, community outreach, and quality improvement.

Mammography is the most widely used and commonly recommended technology for breast imaging. The American College of Radiology and the Society for Breast Imaging recommend annual mammography screening for women at average risk of breast cancer beginning at age 40. In some instances, however, MRI or ultrasound imaging is recommended as a supplement to mammography.

Why are other imaging methods recommended?

Since 2017, Iowa law has required mammography providers to include information about breast density in mammography reports. You may have questions about what this information means for you, your health, and the effectiveness of your breast cancer screening.

Approximately one in eight women (12.5%) develops breast cancer in her lifetime. Because of the prevalence of breast cancer in women, doctors and medical associations recommend screening—looking for signs of disease when no symptoms are present. Mammography has been the gold standard of breast cancer detection for decades and remains a critical component of routine screening. Other technologies, however, can be valuable supplements—or in some cases, even replacements—for screening mammography.

Abbreviated breast MRI is a new enhanced breast cancer screening option for women with dense breast tissue and less than a 20% lifetime risk of breast cancer.

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.

mriWhile mammography is the only breast cancer screening tool proven to reduce deaths through early detection, other methods of imaging are useful when mammography alone doesn’t provide the information needed. MRI is a valuable modality for getting a closer look at confirmed or suspected breast cancer as well as providing additional protection for women at high risk.

Mammography is the standard for breast cancer screening, but it’s not the only imaging method that doctors use to get information about breast conditions and possible cancers. In some cases, ultrasound or MRI are chosen to supplement or replace mammography as a breast imaging tool. To help you understand why your doctor may recommend a particular breast imaging procedure, here are some basic reasons that each is often used.