MRIs for Breast Cancer Screening—Who Needs Them? Many experts
believe that mammograms save lives. Since the widespread
introduction of mammography to screen for breast cancer in the
mid-1980s, the number of women ages 50 and older getting
mammograms has more than doubled. Pair that figure with steady
drops in breast cancer deaths since the 1990s. But some health
care professionals argue that mammograms are not enough for some
women at high risk for breast cancer. New studies suggest that
MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) may improve the early
detection of cancer in women at high risk. Current Screening
Guidelines for Women at High Risk According to the American
Cancer Society, you are considered at high risk for breast
cancer if you answer yes to any of these questions: Do you have
a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with
a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, but have not had genetic
testing done yourself? Do you have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden
syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba s