Should I request an MRI scan for my breast cancer follow-up?

Hello and thank you for posting this question. I believe that by MBI you mean MRI. The NCCN Guidelines® offer some direction on breast MRI and state that “The utility of MRI in follow-up screening of patients with prior breast cancer is undefined.” As well, MRI should generally be considered for patients with dense breasts treated with Breast conservation surgery and radiation therapy and for individuals who are diagnosed before the age of 50. There are other reasons why your oncology care team may order a breast MRI and some (not all) examples may be for staging evaluation, so that your care team is able to define the extent of your cancer or if there are multiple tumors in the same breast, or to screen the other breast (also called contralateral) at the time of diagnosis to name a few.

This is such an important question about follow-up imaging, and it sounds like you're being very thoughtful about your ongoing care. The decision between MRI and mammography for surveillance often depends on several factors including breast density, cancer type, and individual risk factors - all considerations that your oncology team is best positioned to evaluate based on your complete medical picture. Many patients in similar situations find it helpful to discuss the pros and cons of different imaging approaches with their medical team before their next appointment, so you can make the most informed decision together about what's right for your specific follow-up plan.