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Magnetic Resonance Image(MRI) guided biopsy speed treatment in the woman's breast

Navigating by the magnetic resonance image on the computer screen above her patient, Dr. Dianna Craig guides the biopsy needle to a suspicious lesion in the woman’s breast.

A second scan confirms the placement, and Craig proceeds with the region’s first MRI-guided biopsy.

Although it is not likely to become a standard procedure, Craig says MRI guidance brings another option to the programs at Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center at Windber Medical Center.

"There are things that show up on an MRI that you can’t see on a mammogram or ultrasound,” Craig said at the breast center.
Windber began using a special coil attachment to perform breast MRIs earlier last year while Craig completed her qualifications for the guided procedures. Patients with suspected lesions were sent to St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh for another MRI and guided biopsy.

Now those patients won’t have to travel, and – more importantly – won’t have to wait as long for the biopsy results.
Most suspected tumors are benign, but swift treatment of those testing positive for breast cancer can save lives.

“The importance is that if you do an MRI and you find something, you need to have the capacity of doing a biopsy or it’s worthless,” Craig said.
Windber has been coordinating with St. Clair Hospital and Dr. Sherri Chafin, radiologist, who performs the MRI-guided biopsies there.

“There are lesions you can only pick up on the MRI,” Chafin said.
“That’s why you need to be able to do a biopsy on something abnormal.”

Most abnormalities are picked up on mammograms, Chafin said. Ultrasound and digital MRI are used to take a second look at suspect masses and to analyze tissue in women at high risk of cancer.

Craig is using all three imaging systems to do digitally-guided breast biopsies in Windber.

Source: News in The Tribune Democrat