Lange Mammography Practice Exam

MRI is used as an adjunctive imaging tool in cancer workups because it adds detail beyond what standard imaging provides. While mammography is the main screening and diagnostic pillar, MRI offers high sensitivity and can uncover additional lesions that aren’t seen on mammograms or ultrasound. This makes it particularly helpful for determining the full extent of disease, guiding surgical planning, evaluating implants, and screening high‑risk patients or women with dense breast tissue. It’s not used as a routine screening test for average-risk individuals due to its higher false-positive rate, cost, and availability. CT isn’t typically used for diagnosing primary breast cancer because its soft-tissue contrast is less favorable for breast tissues and it involves radiation. Ultrasound is often used as a problem-solving adjunct for characterizing a known lesion or guiding biopsy, but MRI provides a broader, more sensitive adjunctive assessment in selected scenarios.