Breast cancer exams using an MRI can get better results

Morton Plant North Bay Hospital is adding the latest magnetic resonance imaging technology for better results from breast cancer exams.

But it's just one tool in a coordinated approach among physicians to put a patient at ease, according to Rosemary Giuliano, clinical director of the oncology program at the hospital.

The unit, which is nearly 2 years old, is moving to a larger suite within the new medical arts building adjacent to the remodeled hospital at 6600 Madison St.

Specialized MRI exams can spot problems other tests might not show, Giuliano said.

Patients with breast cancer have a 96 percent chance of survival when the disease is detected in the early stages, according to American Cancer Society statistics. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, an MRI can find breast cancers that mammograms miss in high-risk women, said Alison Schuermann, media relations coordinator for BayCare Health System.

In 2007, an expert panel recommended annual screening using MRI in addition to mammography for women with a 20 percent or greater lifetime risk of the disease.

"The hope is to save the patient additional trips" by utilizing MRIs, Giuliano said. "We also use this technology for people with very high risk."

Women lie prone on their stomachs on a large table that retracts into a tunnel of the large MRI device. Like similar machines, the large magnet inside the MRI produces a loud sound. The woman must lie still during the scan.

The MRI setup at North Bay allows images of both breasts. The scan is sent electronically to a computer that does an initial assessment of the results. Then specially trained radiologists look at the MRI results.

Every step of the way, patients are involved in their own care, Giuliano said. Reading materials and resources are supplied.

The North Bay breast care program brings together a surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, radiologist, pathologist and many support staff members. Giuliano brings her perspective as an advanced registered nurse practitioner. She is a surgical hospitalist as well. A plastic surgeon is part of the team for breast reconstruction, if needed.

The patient can take advantage of chaplain services or get dietary advice.

"We empower them with knowledge and take the lead in their care and are very much a participant in their care," Giuliano said. "There isn't a program like this anywhere else in the region."

The multidisciplinary approach is intended to cut down the number of trips the patient has to make to consult doctors, Giuliano said.

"The biggest benefit is seeing all the physicians at one time" in one place, Giuliano continued, and doctors get to confer as a group to expedite the patient's care.

"The patient's anxiety levels are greatly reduced," Giuliano said.

Most insurance plans pay for MRI.

MRI scans are best used along with mammograms for screening women who have a high risk of getting breast cancer, based on family history and their own medical history, Giuliano said.

The North Bay program also offers ultrasounds, mammograms, the full scope of all technologies available for breast biopsies, computer-aided detection, genetic testing, breast conservation and targeted radiation therapy.

For information, call (727) 953-9233.