Breast Cancer Screening (MRI)

Dedicated breast MRI using 3-Tesla imaging with gadolinium contrast and specialised breast coils. Provides radiation-free breast cancer screening with higher sensitivity than mammography, particularly beneficial for women with dense breast tissue where mammographic accuracy is reduced. Includes radiologist review and consultation.

Breast MRI at ALTA Klinik uses dedicated breast coils on the 3-Tesla Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra scanner, combined with intravenous gadolinium contrast agent. The contrast highlights areas of increased blood supply — a characteristic feature of actively growing tumours — allowing detection of lesions that may be invisible on mammography or ultrasound. The 3-Tesla field strength is a meaningful advantage for breast MRI specifically, as the higher signal-to-noise ratio enables thinner imaging slices and finer spatial resolution. This translates to improved detection of small invasive cancers and better characterisation of lesion morphology, both of which contribute to diagnostic confidence. Breast MRI is recognised as the most sensitive screening modality available, with reported sensitivity exceeding 90% compared to roughly 75% for mammography in average-density breasts and substantially lower in dense tissue. However, breast MRI also has a higher false-positive rate, which means some findings may require additional imaging or biopsy that ultimately proves benign. For this reason, breast MRI is generally recommended as a complement to mammography, not a replacement. The screening is particularly valuable for women with dense breast tissue (identified on prior mammograms), those with a family history of breast cancer, known BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, and women with a personal history of breast cancer seeking surveillance. The appointment lasts approximately two hours including contrast administration, imaging, and consultation.