News Releases

Breast MRI now available at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital

MELROSE, MA - May 7 2009- To better accommodate the diagnostic imaging needs of patients throughout the region, Hallmark Health System has expanded its list of imaging services with the addition of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the breast at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.

Breast MRI is available on the hospital's new GE 1.5T Excite HD MR system, which delivers highly detailed images of the human body with increased speed and better resolution. With this latest addition patients throughout the region now have easier and more convenient access to the most sophisticated technologies available for the detection and treatment of breast disease.

A non-invasive imaging technique, Breast MRI is used to detect and characterize breast disease, extent of disease, evaluation of treatment response and guidance for biopsy and localization.

This exam is ordered for the following reasons: the patient is at high risk, has had breast augmentation or implant surgery, during or after chemotherapy as well as if other imaging exams such as a digital mammography or ultrasound have yielded inconclusive results.

Breast MRI enables the detection of abnormalities that might be obscured with other imaging methods and has been shown to detect small breast lesions that are sometimes missed by mammography. Breast MRI does not involve exposure to radiation.

"With the addition of Breast MRI we are able to accommodate more patients in our primary service area and detect and treat breast disease quickly and more efficiently," said Olga Efimova, MD, PhD, a radiologist at Hallmark Health's Melrose-Wakefield Hospital. "Early detection is our best defense against breast disease and this service allows us to diagnose and treat these patients with the best technology available."

Hallmark Health offers a comprehensive breast care diagnostic techniques in conjunction with highly trained breast health professionals.  These include minimally invasive stereotactic breast biopsy, minimally invasive ultrasound guided breast biopsy, and minimally invasive MRI guided biopsies as well as standard open breast biopsy procedures when necessary.

For information about Hallmark Health, visit www.hallmarkhealth.org.

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Hallmark Health System is the premier, charitable provider of vital health services to Boston's northern communities. The system includes Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Melrose Wakefield Hospital, Melrose, Hallmark Health Cancer Center, Stoneham, The CHEM Center for MRI, Stoneham, Hallmark Health Medical Center, Reading, Hallmark Health VNA and Hospice, Malden, Lawrence Memorial/Regis College Nursing and Radiography Programs, Medford, and Ell Pond Medical Associates. Hallmark Health is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital for cardiology and Tufts Medical Center for neonatology.