Purpose: The aim of this study is to give an overview on early detection of breast cancer in patients with an increased risk of breast cancer. Sensitivities and diagnostic accuracies of breast MRI, mammography and ultrasound were compared.
Material and methods: A systematic literature search of the past 3 years was performed. Studies which compared breast imaging modalities and used image-guided biopsy results as standard of reference were included. Patients included had to have had an increased lifetime risk for breast cancer (>15%).
Results: Regarding sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy, breast MRI performed best in comparison to the other modalities within this collective of patients. Sensitivities ranged from 71-100%, 0-78%, and 13-65%, for MRI, mammography, and ultrasound, respectively
Conclusion: Breast MRI is a well established tool for screening in patients at high risk for developing breast cancer and is a valuable supplement to mammography and ultrasound within this selected cohort of patients.