MRI breast cancer screening is cost-effective for certain women aged 35 to 54 years who carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, according to a study co-authored by CHP/PCOR associate Sylvia Plevritis and director Alan Garber.

Using a computer model to weigh the costs of the tests against the lives saved at various ages, researchers evaluated the cost-effectiveness of screening women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations with mammography plus breast MRI vs. mammography alone.

Specifically, the study found that, "At a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, adding annual MRI to mammography from the ages of 35 to 54 years is cost-effective among all BRCA1 mutation carriers and among BRCA2 mutation carriers for whom mammography is insensitive."

MRI screening costs about $1,000 -- 10 times as much as mammograms alone -- and can identify even tiny tumors, but they also have higher false-positive rates that can lead to unnecessary biopsies.

The study findings were covered by several news media outlets and Web sites, including the Washington Post, Reuters, CNN.com (scroll down to "Second Look"), WebMD, and a HealthDay article that appeared on Forbes.com.