Warren General Hospital has upgraded its women’s health program offerings.

“Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Warren General Hospital is proud to announce the… addition of Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),” Director of Patient and Public Relations Holli Wolfe said.

While Breast MRI provides very detailed images, it does not replace the traditional breast cancer screening methods.

“Mammography is the standard and traditional way to screen for breast cancer,” Wolfe said. “MRI is a supplemental tool for detecting and staging breast cancer and can help clarify other abnormalities or uncertainties.”

“It should not be used as a screening test for every woman because it may lead to biopsy or follow up of lesions with little clinical relevance,” Radiologist Dr. Sara Brooks-Sienkiewicz said.

The equipment is another tool at the hospital’s disposal to provide detailed information.

“Breast MRI provides very detailed images of the breasts and is able to detect cancers that may not be visible with the conventional screening alone,” Brooks-Sienkiewicz said. “MRI is useful as an adjunct to mammography in certain situations, such as screening women at high risk for breast cancer and further evaluation of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.”

“Your physician will take multiple factors into consideration when deciding if an MRI is an appropriate test for you,” Wolfe said. “Breast MRI can be used for high-risk women who have a more than 20 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer, evaluate the extent of cancer, aid in surgical treatment decisions, clarify suspicious clinical or imaging findings, and evaluate treatment response.”

A 30-minute exam, during which the patient lies face down, provides thousands of images, including three-dimensional images, of the breast tissue.

“We are excited to offer this service and encourage women to discuss their breast imaging options with their healthcare provider,” Brooks-Sienkiewicz said.