Dr. Clemens Kaiser, from University Medical Centre Mannheim, and colleagues included 1,488 patients in a study that explored the cost-to-savings ratio for breast MRI. In these 1,488 cases, Kaiser's group found 76 true positives, 48 false positives, 971 true negatives, and no false negatives.
The overall costs for breast MRI examinations, biopsies, and surgeries included in this study were 1.53 million euros ($1.95 million U.S.). The estimated amount of savings from prevented biopsies and reduced surgeries ranged from 2.65 million euros ($3.37 million) to 4.15 million euros ($5.3 million).
Although Kaiser's group found that use of breast MRI in women with dense tissue leads to substantial cost savings over the long term, the team did caution that the study results depend on reader experience and appropriate technical standards.
