Format: CD and Online
Credit:  0.5 AMA PRA Category 1
Fee for Credit Certificate: $0

• Click ENROLL NOW to view this program ONLINE and complete the POSTTEST (online study is free)
• Click ORDER NOW to receive the CD by mail (shipping charges apply)
   

Breast MRI - A Paradigm Shift in Breast Cancer Management

A CME program for radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, gynecologists, and primary care physicians who refer or treat patients with breast disease.

Course Overview

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women.¹ Early detection and treatment can often mean the difference between life and death.

Based on new evidence on the efficacy of breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screening in high-risk patients, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has issued new guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer which include MRI.² Additionally, MRI is emerging as an important tool in the treatment of breast cancer patients to evaluate the extent of disease, assess tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and for surgeons in preoperative planning.

This program outlines current indications for breast MRI and includes a series of case studies demonstrating how MRI evaluation impacted the clinical management of breast cancer patients.

¹ Source for incidence and mortality data: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the National Center for Health Statistics.  Available at http://seer.cancer.gov

² Saslow D, Boetes C, Burke W, Harms S, Leach MO, Lehman CD, et al. American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Advisory Group. American Cancer Society guidelines for breast screening with MRI as an adjunct to mammography. CA Cancer J Clin. 2007 Mar-Apr;57(2):75-89.


Evidence Basis

Lehman CD, Gatsonis C, Kuhl CK, Hendrick RE, Pisano ED, Hanna L, et al. ACRIN Trial 6667 Investigators Group. MRI evaluation of the contralateral breast in women with recently diagnosed breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 2007 Mar 29;356(13):1295-303.

Saslow D, Boetes C, Burke W, Harms S, Leach MO, Lehman CD, et al. American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Advisory Group. American Cancer Society guidelines for breast screening with MRI as an adjunct to mammography. CA Cancer J Clin. 2007 Mar-Apr;57(2):75-89.

Schnall MD, Blume J, Bluemke DA, Deangelis GA, Debruhl N, Harms S, et al. MRI detection of distinct incidental cancer in women with primary breast cancer studied in IBMC 6883. J Surg Oncol. 2005 Oct 1;92(1):32-38.


Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be more confident to:

• Assess the complementary role of MR imaging as an adjunct to mammography and ultrasound
• Appropriately refer high-risk patients for MRI screening in accordance with ACS guidelines
• Recognize the utility of breast MR imaging in preoperative planning

Accreditation & Credit

Physicians
International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education (ICPME) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

ICPME designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.


How to Participate in this Activity

Online Instructions
Click on the "ENROLL NOW" and follow the instructions to enroll in this course online.
The course will be accessible from your "MY ACCOUNT" page.

CD Instructions
The interactive CD ROM contains extended features designed for viewing on a computer. Participants can access chapters at their own pace.

• Click on "ORDER NOW" and follow the instruction to order the CD. Shipping charges apply.
• The CD will lauch when inserted into a computer. Instructions for navigating can be found in The Lesson Book.
  
  

To Apply for Credit

There are no fees to apply for credit. Estimated time to complete this activity is 30 minutes.

To receive credit, view the entire program and submit a completed program EVALUATION form. To submit your EVALUATION form for credit:

Online

• Log-in to your account at www.icpme.us to complete the online EVALUATION. The EVALUATION can be accessed through the course link in your account.
• Instructions to print a credit certificate will be generated upon completion of the online EVALUATION.

 
Faculty Biographies

Dr. Berman is a partner with Fairfax Radiological Consultants (FRC) and is Director of the Breast MRI program at the Fairfax MRI Center and Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA.  She specializes in breast imaging, especially breast MRI and MRI-guided breast biopsy. Dr. Berman developed and manages a comprehensive breast MRI program that maintains one of the highest patient volumes in the United States.
She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and completed residency training in radiology and a combined fellowship in breast and body imaging at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.


Fairfax Radiological Consultants is the largest radiology practice in the Northern Virginia-D.C metropolitan area with 14 outpatient imaging centers and 3 hospitals. The breast MRI group has performed more than 8000 diagnostic breast MRI studies since the inception of the program.
 

Dr. Akbari is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mount Holyoke College and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her surgical internship, residency, and chief residency were performed at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, where she also completed a two-year National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship. Prior to coming to Northern Virginia, Dr. Akbari was on the faculty of the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts, where she worked as a full-time breast surgeon at the Lahey Clinic Breast Center.

As the first female surgeon in Northern Virginia dedicated exclusively to diseases of the breast, Dr. Akbari has been integral in the implementation of minimally invasive techniques for the diagnosis of breast disease, such as in-office ultrasound-guided breast biopsy. She has incorporated the most advanced and newest approaches for breast cancer treatment, including sentinel node biopsy, accelerated partial breast radiation, and oncoplastic surgical techniques. She was the first surgeon in Northern Virginia to be certified by the American Society of Breast Surgeons in breast ultrasound.

Dr. Akbari is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.


Disclosure Information

It is the policy of ICPME to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities. In accordance with the ICPME Policy on Resolution of Conflicts of Interest, faculty, advisors, planners, and managers who are in a position to control the content of CME activities are asked to disclose any relationships with companies whose products or services may relate to the content of this presentation, as well as off-label or unapproved use of commercial products and/or devices.

Faculty, advisors, planners, and managers have reported the following relationships with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Faculty
Elise L. Berman, MD - No relevant conflicts of interest reported.
Stephanie Akbari, MD, FACR - No relevant conflicts of interest reported.

Advisors, Planners, and Managers
Kate Pierce, CNM, MSN - No relevant conflicts of interest reported.
Esther S. Tanzman, MD - No relevant conflicts of interest reported
Victoria Phoenix - No relevant conflicts of interest reported.
Lisa H. Schleelein, MEd - No relevant conflicts of interest reported.




Sponsored by International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education








Supported by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.



This activity is made possible through an educational grant from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.