Can you detect breast cancer? How does your MRI compare to mammography?

Our Mamma MRI add-on may detect breast cancer by scanning both breasts using contrast-enhanced MRI. This is different from the standard full-body MRI.

Mamma MRI vs. mammography:

• MRI is more sensitive: it may detect cancers that mammography misses, particularly in dense breast tissue
• MRI uses no radiation (unlike mammography, which uses low-dose X-rays)
• MRI requires a contrast agent (gadolinium-based dye), which is injected intravenously during the scan
• MRI has a higher false-positive rate: it may flag findings that turn out to be benign
• Mammography remains the standard screening tool recommended by Swiss guidelines for women aged 50+

The full-body MRI (without the Mamma add-on) covers the chest area but does not provide the detailed breast-specific imaging needed for breast cancer screening.

Our Mamma MRI is particularly valuable for women with dense breast tissue, a family history of breast cancer, or known genetic risk (BRCA1/BRCA2).

Learn more in our article on Mamma MRI and breast health. See our conditions overview for more on what our screening may detect.