In the wellness community, advancements in proactive care frequently involve two critical areas: lab work and imaging.
On the lab work side, we’ve seen innovative blood tests like GRAIL’s Galleri test for broad cancer screening. In imaging, the whole-body MRI has emerged as a powerful imaging tool for early detection, particularly of cancer.
If you’re interested in early disease detection and risk assessment, you may have heard of whole-body MRIs. Since some controversy surrounds them, I’d like to discuss the pros and cons of whole-body MRIs, when they’re useful as a screening strategy, and what to consider beforehand.
What Do Whole-Body MRIs Detect?
Whole-body MRIs scan your entire body, producing high-resolution images of your internal organs, tissues, and bones. As such, these scans can reveal hidden disease processes that would otherwise lurk undetected until they advance enough to produce symptoms.
If you’ve read this blog before, you probably know cancer is one of the big three killers that take people off this planet. However, the earlier you detect and treat cancer, the greater your likelihood of a positive outcome. So, early cancer detection is a top priority for those adopting a proactive, offense-minded approach to health.
This is the primary driver behind whole-body MRIs. These full-body scans excel at detecting potentially cancerous changes — like abnormal masses — in the body, even at very early stages.
Beyond cancer, whole-body MRIs may reveal other information about your body. Most often, I see patients discover musculoskeletal issues like degenerative spinal discs or benign abnormalities of structures like the thyroid or prostate.
How to Prepare for a Whole-Body MRI
A whole-body MRI casts a wide net, and while this is its strength, patients also have to mentally prepare for a broad range of potential results. When counseling patients about whole-body MRIs, I help them prepare for three potential scenarios:
- No Concerning Findings: A patient might receive a completely “negative” result, meaning nothing of concern appeared on the scan. While this is excellent news — and you can certainly take time to celebrate it — I also like to note that it isn’t a free pass to ignore healthy lifestyle choices. Sometimes, the harmful effects of poor habits haven’t appeared yet.
- Concerning Findings: While patients should prepare themselves for the possibility of discovering cancer, it’s important to remember that “concerning findings” on a whole-body MRI aren’t conclusive. The scan shows us “smoke,” and we have to find out if there’s really “fire.” Often, MRI technology may not be able to determine a benign from a cancerous mass. Further testing, such as different types of organ-specific MRI, CT scans, or biopsies, is required to determine whether the abnormality is truly cancerous.
- Incidental Findings: Another common result is findings that are called incidental. They aren’t related to cancer, and they may or may not require further attention. Patients must be prepared to carry the weight of these other findings. For people with health anxiety, this can be particularly challenging.
Before undergoing a whole-body MRI, engage in meaningful discussions with your healthcare provider. A trusted physician who knows your situation can help you set realistic expectations and consider how you might handle different outcomes. This mental rehearsal makes a difference if challenging results arise.
The Importance of Expert Analysis
Interpreting whole-body MRI results isn’t a do-it-yourself endeavor. While you can try to piecemeal the experience using general imaging centers and radiologists, you likely won’t get the same level of precision and expertise available at dedicated imaging centers like Fountain Life, Ezra, and Prenuvo.
Dedicated centers like these currently provide the highest level of care through a combination of the best MRI equipment and tailored protocols with experienced radiologists who read thousands of whole-body MRIs and know exactly what they’re looking for.
When Is a Whole-Body MRI the Right Choice?
Deciding whether to get a whole-body MRI is a personal choice, but certain factors can guide the decision.
If you have a heightened risk because of your lifestyle, family history, or demographic factors, this screening could offer invaluable insights. However, for people with significant health anxiety, the process may introduce more stress than benefit.
For anxious patients who decide to move forward, I always have particularly in-depth conversations beforehand. We carefully consider how they might handle an “in-between” result — incidental findings that aren’t completely normal but don’t indicate cancer. The key is doing the hard work up front, which means discussing:
- Individual risk factors like lifestyle, age, family history, and demographics
- Mental preparation for all possible outcomes
- Specific follow-up plans for each scenario
Pros and Cons of Whole-Body MRIs vs. Blood-Based Screening
You may wonder whether a whole-body MRI or a blood-based screening test like Galleri is better. Both are excellent methods of early cancer detection, and they’re more complementary than competitive.
The whole-body MRI and the Galleri test look for cancer through different lenses. Both are non-invasive and safe, using no radiation or contrast materials, and each has its pros and cons.
By nature, whole-body MRIs show structural changes in the body that could indicate cancer. In that case, cancers that don’t cause structural changes — like leukemia — may not show up on scans, though blood-based screenings can detect them. On the other hand, full-body scans can spot cancerous masses before they create abnormal blood markers for tests like Galleri to detect.
Together, these screenings offer a comprehensive, two-pronged approach to early detection, complementing each other’s weaknesses.
Cost is a factor that can come into play when considering both tests. A whole-body MRI typically runs $2,000–$2,500, while the Galleri test costs $700–$800. For those committed to proactive healthcare, however, the investment can be worthwhile.
Whole-Body MRIs: Final Thoughts
Whole-body MRIs represent an exciting advancement in offense-minded healthcare, offering a window into potential risks before they become problems. As technology and AI improve, so will these screenings, offering us an exciting and encouraging outlook for the future.
That said, don’t tackle whole-body MRIs on your own. The emotional and mental toll of handling results by yourself can be overwhelming. It’s best to discuss these scans with a trusted physician before, during, and after your screening. Then, regardless of the result you receive, you know you have someone in your corner to provide the support and follow-up you need.
Dr. Wright joined Brentwood MD in 2022 as the model allows him to spend more time connecting with patients and build a foundation of exceptional care. He is a Nashville native and completed his family medicine residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he also served as Chief Resident. He believes that your health deserves a prominent position on your priority list, and would be honored to serve you and your family.
