In Croatia, malignant diseases are the second leading cause of death, secondary only to cardiovascular diseases. They represent a significant public health problem. Among the malignancies in women, breast cancer ranks first, with an incidence of more than 2,700 new cases per year. National prevention programs for early detection of malignant diseases significantly increase the likelihood of cure. In Croatia, preventive examinations for early detection of breast cancer are performed in the adult population. Mammography is used in a breast cancer screening program for women that are 50 to 70 years old. In younger age groups, breast ultrasound is the method of choice for early diagnosis. In an increasing number of women that are being treated for breast cancer, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is also performed alongside mammography and ultrasound, due to higher accuracy. External (environmental) factors, lifestyles, and some habits had probably originally influenced the overall incidence of breast cancer. Successes in the treatment of this complex disease correlates closely to the advancements in surgery. The primary goal is to cure the patient, but sometimes both the physician and the patient are cnfronted with negative outcome. Different challenges (intellectual, psychological, social, ethical and emotional) come to the fore in the care of patients with malignant disease. Today, the majority of cancers are no longer seen as a death sentence, but as any other chronic disease. There is still a lot of room for improvement, and given the growing importance of cancer as a public health problem around the world, there is no doubt that improving oncology as a science and profession is the future. A multidisciplinary approach in treatment leads to better results. Magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic method that displays transverse cross-sectional images of the human body similar to computed tomography (CT) images. Magnetic resonance imaging can display cross sections of the human body in all planes. Throughout this paper, we will show the importance of magnetic resonance imaging as a complementary imaging examination due to the importance of early detection of breast cancer for the purpose of a better prognosis. We will display the benefit-cost ratio of the wider application of magnetic resonance imaging, and investigate how much more accurate it is than mammography and ultrasound in detecting smaller tumors.