"In an underserved population, using this model, it is cost effective to screen with MRI because we found more breast cancers with MRI than we did with mammography in this population," Ford said. "If you truly target high-risk women with MRIs, you can find the cancers, and you can find them early."

In addition, compliance with follow-up in mammographic screenings was 75 percent and 90 percent in MRI screenings. Vital to those results was the utilization of a breast navigation team, which recruited study participants from the general population at health and screening fairs in central North Carolina, according to Ford.

"The navigation team was key in helping the women - and these are all uninsured or under-insured women - negotiate the medical center," she said.

Source: American Association for Cancer Research