Indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To describe the indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a referral center for breast cancer in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study in which we reviewed the clinical records, including physician requests and patient questionnaires, of women who underwent breast MRI between 2014 and 2018 at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. RESULTS: The most common indication for breast MRI was as a complement to mammography/ultrasonography (in 43.6% of cases), followed by breast cancer staging (in 25.1%), the screening of patients at high risk (in 17.4%), the evaluation of breast implants (in 10.1%), and the evaluation of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (in 3.8%). CONCLUSION: Although there is strong evidence supporting the use of breast MRI, mainly for the screening of high-risk patients, the imaging method is underutilized in Brazil.