According to new research, women that have gone through breast cancer must consider a yearly breast MRI screening, in addition to the annual mammogram.

At present, the American Cancer Society suggests yearly breast MRI in addition to mammography for women that have high breast cancer risk, an example of this are those with BRCA or those with strong family history of cancer. Despite this, these women concerned do not take any position regarding MRI imaging, exclaiming that the evidence is not enough to provide recommendations on the matter.

Dr. Wendy DeMartini, a radiology assistant professor from the University of Washington Medical School, provided a study on MRI screening’s effectiveness. She studied three groups of women. The study provided results that showcased women that had breast cancer to have more cancers than women that are at a very high risk.

Dr. DeMartini also said that the personal history group of women is less likely to have additional testing.

She was scheduled to showcase her findings in Chicago, to the Radiological Society of North America.

Dr. DeMartini and her team studied 1,026 women’s initial breast MRI exams from January 2004 up to June 2009. Out of all the women, 327 of them had a family or genetic history, while 646 had breast cancer history treated before.

Overall, 25 of 27 cancers were detected by the MRI according to Dr. DeMartini. Over 3 percent of women with personal history were found with cancer. It was double the amount compared to women with family history.

Nevertheless, there is still a growing need for more research in order to clear MRI’s role, she said.

The findings impressed Dr. Robert Smith. He is the American Cancer Society’s director of cancer screening. While the cancer society does not take a stand regarding MRI imaging with personal breast cancer history, Dr. Smith said that reviewing the study findings regularly will be done for them to find out if there is a need for updating the guidelines.

He also said that some tumors fail to show during mammography compared to when doing an MRI. MRI actually can showcase angiogenesis or the new blood vessel formations. They feed cancerous tissues.

Thus, it is best to consult a doctor on how to approach this situation.