Guidelines and recommendations for MRI in breast cancer follow-up: A review.

OBJECTIVE

Present article will perform a review regarding the current recommendations of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in routine follow-up after successfully treated breast cancer by surgery, radiation and/or systemic therapy.

METHODS

For this review, a literature review search was done with the MeSH-terms: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, breast neoplasm, post-operative period and follow-up, according to PRISMA. The literature published between 2006 and 2016 in MedBase, PubMed and Embase was consulted.

RESULTS

The 10 articles and 8 guidelines were analysed for their recommendations regarding MRI use in routine follow-up for breast cancer. One article concluded that MRI could influence further policy, all others did not find superiority of MRI over mammography or were inconclusive. One guideline recommended annual MRI for patients with a positive personal history (PPH) for breast cancer without further risk factors, one guideline offered no MRI to these patients and all other guidelines were inconclusive.

CONCLUSION

There is insufficient evidence regarding superiority of MRI versus mammography in routine follow-up for patients with a PPH of breast cancer. MRI does not improve survival in all patients and should therefore not be offered to patients in follow-up without increased risk for recurrences.