Whole Body Scan – Do You Really Need One?

Will a Whole Body Scan Be Worth the cost?

In truth, even experts are divided when it comes to the potential benefits and safety profile of CT and MRI whole body scan as a screening test for cancers and other diseases.

Some studies such as the one conducted by Lee, et.al (2018) recommend MRI for cancer screening and promote its use as a tool for expanding regular health check-ups. The researchers specifically found that using MRI imaging as part of regular physical and medical exam help in the detection of both malignant and non-malignant abnormalities, any of which require further investigation.

In an interview with Dr. Anton Titov MD, published online, he clarified that when a clinician orders an MRI to screen for cancer or any other disease detectable with MRI scanning, he or she looks for specific cross-sectional images. When a full-body scan is used for cancer screening, however, the radiographer usually conducts what is known as “abbreviated scans”.

These, according to Dr. Titov, are hardly helpful for detecting anomalies in the body. Moreover, he adds that whole body MRI screening cost for this purpose is not justifiable. The average full body scan in the UK costs upwards of £1,000 for a scan that can easily be a hit-and-miss tool for cancer detection.

Not only are diagnostic clinics openly promoting the use of CT and MRI scans for cancer screening, but even manufacturers of scanners are also advocating their use as a preventative diagnostic tool.

No less than the US Food and Drug Administration, however, has issued a warning about the use of CT scans, specifically, for this purpose. It said that there are “no proven benefits for healthy people”.

Are Full Body Scans Safe?

Before anything else, are you signing up for diagnostic imaging that might unnecessarily endanger your health and well-being? If there is any particular risk, is the risk worth it?

Based on the FDA recommendation, the risks, and benefits of using CT or MRI scans for cancer screening should be weighed carefully to make sure that the potential benefits clearly justify the risks.

Here are just some of the potential risks of getting a scan for screening purposes:

• A positive finding may cause unnecessary panic or stress despite the inaccurate nature of the procedure taken

• Undue subjection of a patient to expensive, unreliable, and unnecessary invasive procedures, including follow up exams

• Unnecessary treatment costs for alleged diseases that have not been accurately diagnosed

So, whether an imaging procedure is safe or not will be relative to the established benefits of getting the procedure done. There will always be some level of risk involved when getting a full body scan, even though these are absolutely non-invasive procedures.

In the case of a CT scan, it unnecessarily exposes the patient to radiation which, in turn, slightly increases his or her risks of developing cancer. In the case of MRI, although it poses no risk for exposure to radiation, the patient may suffer from nausea or vertigo following the exam. Patients with metallic implants may find themselves at more serious risk if not properly screened prior to the scan.

As a rule of thumb, therefore, you shouldn’t allow yourself to be subjected to an imaging scan unless there is a clear medical benefit that you can derive from taking risks, no matter how negligible. So before you search for a full body scan near you, it is worth considering that it can cost a significant sum of money and the results may prove unreliable or inconclusive, so it is in your best interest to make sure it will be worth it for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does a total body scan show?

A full body scan will show cross-sectional images of your body from many different angles. This may help show abnormalities that require further investigation. However, the results may be unreliable since the scan is not specifically programmed in any way to detect a particular anomaly being investigated.

How long does a full body scan take?

It may take upwards of 4 hours for a full body scan to be completed. It may take more time if there are special preparations to be taken such as in the case of patients who wear pacemakers or have metallic implants. Patients who are required to be intravenously administered with a contrast medium used to promote clearer images may find that the procedure may also take longer to complete.

Can a full body MRI detect cancer?

Yes, both malignant and non-malignant cell growths may be detected by a full MRI scan. However, when a full body scan is taken for screening purposes without any specific instruction about what images to take, the results are more likely unreliable and inconclusive.

Are body scans accurate?

Yes. However, the extent that whole body scans are accurate will depend mostly on the specific purpose for which the scan was taken, and whether or not there is any specific anomaly being investigated.

When a patient undergoes the scan for further investigation of a potential anomaly suspected by a physician, there will likely be more specific cross-sections of the body that the physician will order to be taken for the exam. This is what improves the accuracy of the findings that follow.

References:

Lee SY, Park HJ, Kim MS, Rho MH, etc. Initial experience with the use of whole body MRI for cancer screening and regular health checks. PLoS One. 2018; 13(11): e0206681. Published online 2018 Nov 21.

Diagnostic Detectives. Full body CT. Whole-body MRI. Should you have it? Interview with Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Link: https://diagnosticdetectives.com/full-body-ct-whole-body-mri-should-you-have-it-7/

US Food and Drug Administration. Full-Body CT Scans — What You Need To Know. Link: https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/medical-x-ray-imaging/full-body-ct-scans-what-you-need-know