Background We sought to evaluate the effect of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI) on the wait time to surgery and to what extent it affects the surgical management plan initially considered. Methods From April 2007 to April 2009, a total of 147 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who underwent surgery as initial treatment at Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: those who had BMRI (n= 71) and those