Some women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer should have mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) every year.
A woman is considered to be high risk and and as someone who would benefit from MRI and mammography screening if:
- She has had genetic testing and knows that she carries a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or has a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
- She has a lifetime breast cancer risk assessed as 20% to 25% or greater on a risk assessment tool. Women can use this online risk assessment tool to assess risk.
- She has received radiation to the chest between the ages of 10 and 30.
- She has Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or a history of these syndromes in a first-degree relative.
There is currently not enough evidence to determine if women who have dense breast tissue (extremely dense or heterogeneously dense) or who have previously been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), or atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia should have MRI screening. These women should discuss their personal risk factors with their doctor.