Palms Imaging Center
Abbreviated Breast MRI
The Most Effective Fast Breast Cancer Screening for Dense Breasts
Palms Imaging Center is pleased to offer AB-MR –
a new, innovative screening for breast cancer.
AB-MR is a new, low-cost breast MRI exam that has been developed for screening women with dense breasts. AB-MR does not have radiation, does not require breast compression, and detects 4 times more breast cancers than mammography.* AB-MR takes approximately 10 minutes to perform and requires a small IV injection.
A standard breast MRI is by far the most accurate breast imaging test available today.
It is rare for a breast MRI to miss an invasive breast cancer. Unfortunately, breast MRI in Ventura County is less common due to its high cost. AB-MR will provide that same accuracy, detecting early-stage smaller cancers, especially for women with dense breasts.
Palms Imaging Center is the First in Ventura County
to Offer this Innovative Breast Cancer Screening.
Palms Imaging Center offers an Abbreviated Breast MRI (AB-MR) for $500.
MRI detects 4 times more breast cancers than mammography. It detects cancer at a very early stage, when there is the best chance for cure with the least amount of treatment.
How do I schedule an AB-MR?
Contact us today to schedule your appointment 805.604.9500 ext. 129
Or click below to request an appointment online.
Appointments are available: Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
Is an AB-MR covered by insurance?
No. This is a new technology and is not currently covered by most insurances. You will be responsible to pay the cost of $350 at the time of your appointment. Payment plans are available.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
A referral from your doctor is preferred but not necessary. Our staff will answer all your questions about this latest breast cancer screening. We will walk you through the steps of your screening appointment, so you know what to expect, and we can send the results to your doctor.
AB-MR Facts:
• Detects breast cancers 4 times more often than mammography
• More precise test results for dense breasts, detecting early stage smaller cancers
• No radiation
• No breast compression
• Takes approximately 10 minutes to perform
• Requires small IV injection
You may want to choose an AB-MR screening if you have:
• Average to moderate risk of breast cancer
• Dense breasts
• Discomfort with mammogram compression
• Small breasts
What is breast density and why is it important?
• Breast density refers to the appearance of breast tissue on a mammogram.
• Dense breasts appear mostly white on a mammogram, which can hide a small cancer, which is also white on a mammogram.
• Dense breasts increase the chance that breast cancer may go undetected by a mammogram.
• Women with dense breasts also have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Approximately half of all women have dense breasts.
Breast Cancer Facts:
• There are currently more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.**
• The five-year survival rate for women with non-invasive and small (2 cm or less), localized breast cancers is 99%.**
• On average, 1 out of 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer. **
• Your individual risk may be higher or lower.
To find out your individual cancer risk, take the
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment test here:
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool
What the Experts are Saying:
National Institutes of Health:
…the concept of a fast, abbreviated MRI exam is very appealing, given its high diagnostic accuracy coupled with the possibility of a marked reduction in the cost of an MRI examination.1
American Society of Clinical Oncology:
…our study suggests that with the abbreviated breast MRI approach … screening breast MRI is feasible without compromising sensitivity or specificity compared with the regular full diagnostic MRI protocol. 2
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center:
– Provides high diagnostic accuracy with shorter image acquisition and interpretation time.
– Given its robust accuracy and shorter exam and reading times, abbreviated breast MRI is an attractive, cost-effective option.3
* Comstock, Christopher E. and Kuhl, Christiane K. – Abbreviated MRI of the Breast: A Practical Approach
** American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures – 2018-2019
1 The National Center for Biotechnology Information is part of the United States National Library of Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.
2 “Abbreviated Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): First Postcontrast Subtracted Images and Maximum-Intensity Projection – A Novel Approach Breast Cancer Screening With MRI” Journal of Clinical Oncology © 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology.
3 “The Emerging Role and Value of Abbreviated Breast MRI” Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
