In women undergoing breast conservation therapy (BCT), breast magnetic imaging (MRI) during the initial evaluation had no significant impact on 15-year rates for local control, overall survival, freedom from distant metastases, or contralateral breast cancer, a recent study found. This study included 755 women with ductal carcinoma in situ or early-stage invasive breast cancer that underwent breast-conserving surgery, followed by definitive breast radiotherapy between 1992 and 2001. Researchers found:

• There were 49 local failures (15 women with and 34 women without breast MRI, respectively) at median follow-up of 13.8 years.
• No differences were observed between women with and without breast MRI with regard to 15-year rates of overall survival (77% vs 71%), freedom from distant metastases (86% vs 90%), and contralateral breast cancer (10% vs 8%).
• There was no significant impact of breast MRI on local failure.