She decided to undergo a breast MRI at the Parkside Magnetic Resonance Center, located at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. A biopsy confirmed a large tumor and Gibbons underwent a mastectomy. Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful method of viewing inside the body that holds great promise in the fight against breast cancer. Mammograms are very good, but up to 15 percent of breast cancers are not seen on mammograms. MRI of the breast is a safe and comfortable procedure that can be performed in less than 30 minutes.
Patients lie on their stomach and are instructed to remain still while the images are being taken.
A safe and painless contrast agent called gadolinium is injected through an IV line during the exam. Images are taken very quickly from the top of the breasts to the bottom. Each image is a cross-section that represents about 3 millimeters of the breast. We can tell the results of the MRI almost immediately. Although not recommended as a routine screening test, Breast MRI can provide valuable information when a question arises on a mammogram or a lump is discovered on physical exam.