Breast MRI Outlook: Innovation, Procedure Volume & Pricing Trends

1.1.1 Ongoing Research Focusing on NON-CONTRAST (Diffusion) Breast MRI

To enhance the accessibility of breast MRI, researchers are actively exploring the use of non-contrast MRI for breast cancer screening. For instance, in June 2024, Stanford University launched a study funded by the National Institutes of Health titled "Abbreviated Non-Contrast-Enhanced MRI for Breast Cancer Screening." This study aims to enroll over 2,000 participants who are at an elevated risk of developing breast cancer. It focuses on evaluating a new breast MRI technique that eliminates the need for contrast injection, making the exam faster, more affordable, more comfortable, and non-invasive. The researchers have developed an advanced diffusion MRI method that enables the acquisition of high-quality diffusion images of the breast. Innovative studies like this are expected to accelerate the adoption of breast MRI over the forecast period.

1.1.2 Adoption of Abbreviated MRI for Screening Women with Dense Breasts

Abbreviated MRI is a newer, shortened version designed to be more accessible for women with dense breast tissue. While standard breast MRI typically requires up to 16 imaging sequences and can take around 40 minutes to complete, Abbreviated MRI reduces this to just three sequences, significantly cutting scan time and improving convenience. This makes it a viable alternative for women with dense breasts, for whom mammograms and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) may be less effective. These methods detect abnormalities based on morphology, but cancers in dense tissues can be obscured, leading to missed diagnoses.

“Mammogram is the best tool we have to detect breast cancer, but it’s not perfect. In women with fatty tissue, we can very easily detect cancer. But in women with very dense breasts, the sensitivity can be low as 30 percent, “we need to start thinking about how to better screen women with dense breasts, and abbreviated MRI is an effective and feasible option.” said Susan Weinstein, MD, an associate professor of Radiology at Penn.

The limitations of mammography and DBT, coupled with a large population of women with dense breasts, are driving the demand for abbreviated MRI as a more effective screening tool. According to data published by the CDC in September 2024, about 50% of women aged 40 and older have dense breasts. Similarly, a report from Micrima Limited in October 2024 estimated that approximately 4 million women over 40 in the UK have dense breast tissue. With a significant population at increased risk for breast cancer, the need for abbreviated or fast MRI in breast cancer detection is expected to grow in the coming years.

In addition, several studies and trials have provided favorable results for using abbreviated MRI (AB MRI) in breast cancer screening. For instance, the study published by the American Journal of Roentgenology in May 2024 compared outcomes between subsequent and baseline rounds of screening AB-MRI in people with dense breasts. The study concluded that successive rounds of AB-MRI screening of people with dense breasts had a lower abnormal interpretation rate (AIR) than baseline studies while retaining a high cancer detection rate (CDR).

The table below represents the AIR and CDR found in this study:

Source: American Journal of Roentgenology, Grand View Research Analysis

Thus, such positive results from studies for AB MRI screening are anticipated to drive its adoption in the coming years.

1.1.3 Positive Trial Results for Novel Contrast Agents

In January 2025, Bayer reported positive topline results from its pivotal Phase III QUANTI studies assessing the efficacy and safety of gadoquatrane, an investigational gadolinium-based contrast media for MRI. Administered at a reduced dose of 0.04 mmol Gd/kg-60% lower than traditional agents-gadoquatrane met all primary and secondary endpoints. The QUANTI OBR study, which included breast MRI, demonstrated that gadoquatrane provides effective lesion detection and visualization comparable to current macrocyclic GBCAs. These findings highlight Gadoquatrane’s potential to improve breast MRI diagnostics while significantly reducing gadolinium exposure, supporting its future role in safer, high-quality imaging across multiple body areas.

1.1.4 Increasing Burden of Breast Cancer

The increasing burden of breast cancer is anticipated to boost the breast MRI market growth. Several countries across Europe and North America are projected to witness a substantial increase in the number of new breast cancer cases. This anticipated rise in incidence rates underscores the growing demand for more effective and reliable imaging modalities, such as breast MRI, which offers superior sensitivity compared to other methods like mammography.

The projected number of new breast cancer cases among females for selected countries from 2022 to 2025 and 2030 is outlined in the table below.

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Grand View Research Analysis

1.1.5 Reimbursement Trends

The evolving reimbursements for breast imaging are anticipated to drive the adoption of breast MRI in the coming years. Several state governments and national government bodies are focusing on improving reimbursement for breast imaging. For instance, in May 2024, Kim Reynolds, the Governor of Iowa, U.S., signed HF 2489 into law. The measure mandates insurance coverage for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations. This law requires health insurance contracts, policies, and plans to include breast imaging services without less favorable terms than those for screening mammograms.

1.1.6 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration and Leveraging Deep Learning Methodology

There is an increasing emphasis on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into breast MRI to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of breast cancer diagnostics. Numerous studies have explored this potential. For example, a study published by the National Library of Medicine in July 2023 developed and evaluated an AI system capable of predicting breast cancer from MRI scans with performance comparable to board-certified radiologists. This system also showed promise in reducing unnecessary biopsies. The research was based on multi-institutional datasets from the U.S. and Poland.

Moreover, in June 2024, a clinical study from Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, revealed that an AI-based method significantly improves breast cancer detection missed by traditional mammography. The ScreenTrustMRI trial used deep learning to analyze mammograms and identify high-risk women for additional MRI screening. This AI-based method has shown great potential in enhancing the detection of invasive and multifocal cancers, indicating that it can serve as a valuable complement to traditional mammography. By targeting approximately 7-8% of screening participants, this approach makes it financially viable to use MRI as an additional screening tool, with the cost per detected cancer case being similar to that of mammography.

“We hoped that AI method we developed would be effective in selecting those who needed additional MRI screening, but we never dreamed it would lead to the detection of so many missed cancers. “Says Fredrik Strand, Radiologist at Karolinska University Hospital and Researcher at the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet.

“Now that the study is complete, we must pause the method because it needs approval from the European Medicines Agency for routine use. Additionally, the software needs to be packaged, and quality assured to become a product, and for this, we have received continued funding from the Wallenberg Foundations.” says Fredrik Strand, Radiologist at Karolinska University Hospital and Researcher at the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet.

Such clinical trials integrating AI and MRI for breast tumors are anticipated to bring more AI-integrated products to the market.