Breast Tumor Detection

My 3rd primary breast cancer was found by MRI in 2009. I'd had one in 2008 and it was clear. On the 2009 MRI a distinct but small area was all lit up. The tumor was small and would never have been found that early if I hadn't had the MRI. It was very hard to locate via ultrasound when I went in for the biopsy. That MRI saved my life.

Yes depending on your other risk factors, you may qualify to get a breast MRI. This is typically reserved for women with a lifetime risk of breast cancer of >20%. Ultrasound is also an excellent method for 'looking into' the breast but is typically reserved for a specific finding such as breast pain or a mass. Ultrasound is starting to used as a screening method (examining the entire breast) although standardizing it from patient to patient and from year to year in the same patient has been difficult.

The current clinical indications for MBI are discussed within recently published medical guidelines and can be found at http://interactive.snm.org/docs/BreastScintigraphyGuideline_V1.0.pdf

Molecular imaging is a fancy work for nuclear medicine in the radiology field. It's not good for looking at anatomy, but is great at looking at function of cells. Any nuclear med study uses x-ray or ultrasound to help locate the areas that are of concers, in other words, it's never the only study you need.

Molecular Breast Imaging (also referred to as BSGI - Breast Specific Gamma Imaging) is currently NOT approved as a screening option for breast cancer, even for dense breast tissue. MBI is currently only approved as a diagnostic tool following mammography and ultrasound. There are on-going clinical studies to determine the efficacy of MBI/BSGI at dose levels equivalent to a screening mammogram. The current approved clinical indications for MBI can be found at:
http://interactive.snm.org/docs/BreastScintigraphyGuideline_V1.0.pdf

MBI works using a gamma radiation-detecting camera. The patient is injected with short-lived radioactive agent. The tumor cells absorb the radioactive agent. The tumors are able to be seen/detected in the resulting image from the camera.