High-risk women often refuse breast MRI

Medical guidelines suggest that many women who are at high risk for breast cancer receive an MRI in addition to getting a mammogram. However, many of them refuse to get the MRI, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

To conduct their investigation, the researchers offered 1,215 women at high or intermediate risk a no-cost MRI for additional screening. The study, which is published in the journal Radiology, found that 512 women (42 percent) refused the test, citing a wide variety of concerns including fear of injecting contrast dye, time problems and claustrophobia.

The top concern women cited was claustrophobia, which was mentioned by 25.4 percent of subjects. Reluctance to receive an injection of contrast material for the test, meanwhile, was mentioned by 5.3 percent.

To get more information on the study:
- read this HealthDay News article

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