Kim Kardashian Recommends a Full Body MRI Scan – Should I Get One? | Melissa Davey
Full-body MRI scans have been around for more than a decade, but only recently have they started taking over social media feeds.
In a promotional post on Instagram last year, Kim Kardashian wrote about her experience being scanned by what she called a “life-saving machine.” “It really saved the lives of some of my friends and I just wanted to share it,” she wrote. Paris Hilton shared a similar experience of undergoing a full body scan to “proactively” rule out breast cancer. “I encourage all of you to get a scan,” she said.
Social media influencers and entrepreneurs are promoting full-body MRIs as “super scans” that can detect early cancers and warn people about “silent killers.” They are sold by technology and radiology companies as a risk-free way to get a “complete health check” in an effort to extend your life.
But while the scans may be useful for people at high risk of certain genetic conditions or cancers, is there any evidence they can help people at medium or low risk of disease?
What is a full body MRI?
During the scan, you lie still on a long, narrow table that slides into a cylindrical machine. Powerful magnets, radio waves and computer images are used to create highly detailed images of the organs, joints and tissues.
Advertisements for the scans emphasize their ability to detect early signs of disease and present them as risk-free, apart from the discomfort that might arise from lying on your back in an enclosed space for about an hour.
There are now private clinics across Australia offering the scans for more than $800 to anyone who wants one, even if they have no symptoms or a doctor’s referral. The implication is that almost everyone is a good candidate.
Since most people have been affected by or are aware of someone with cancer or heart disease, it may seem like a small price to pay for apparent peace of mind.
But according to those endorsing the scans, including celebrities, there are plenty of benefits, including the ability to detect things like cancer and aneurysms at their earliest stages, before symptoms arise.
What does the evidence say?
University of Sydney public health researcher Dr Brooke Nickel says whole-body MRI scans may actually have unintended negative consequences.
Expanding disease definitions and lowering diagnostic thresholds means that more people previously considered healthy or at low risk can now be classified as having a health condition or disease indicator, such as a shadow on an organ. This is known as overdiagnosis.
“The biggest problem with whole-body MRI scans is that they can detect insignificant diseases that lead to unnecessary diagnoses and treatments,” says Nickel.
“This is possible lead to individual harm and also have consequences for the healthcare system.”
Harms include the fear and anxiety that comes from being told something has been detected on a scan; the feeling that any abnormality must be treated and eliminated ‘just in case’; and the risk associated with additional treatments to address whatever the scan may find. These treatments can be unnecessary, expensive and have side effects.
Nickel says companies that manufacture medical devices and treatments can take advantage of people’s fear of becoming unwell and their desire to be informed, by devising new health screening tools and detection tests, such as a whole-body MRI.
“The premise that knowledge and information is power, while previously it made individuals feel empowered about their health, is concerning when it is used by commercial entities or people with vested interests in health interventions such as tests, treatments and technology that not evidence-based,” she says.
The tests can also be overly reassuring. A heavy smoker or regular drinker may feel there is no need to address these habits if a full body scan reveals no abnormalities. And full-body MRIs are not the best tool for detecting many of the diseases or functional problems associated with lifestyle habits.
What do the experts recommend?
Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, a rheumatologist and clinical epidemiologist, says the scans also detect common and normal age-related changes in the back and knees, which are usually benign. This can also lead to unfounded diagnoses, concerns and unnecessary treatments, she says.
Whole-body MRI scans may be used for people at high risk for certain genetic conditions or cancers, or to detect metastatic cancer, and only in these cases is a doctor-ordered exam covered by Medicare.
There is no evidence that these highly sensitive scans provide any overall benefit for people at intermediate or low risk of disease. They do present a good risk of overdiagnosis, unnecessary anxiety and a depleted bank account.
Melissa Davey is the medical editor of Guardian Australia. She has completed a master’s degree in public health and moonlighting as a fitness instructor
Antiviral is a biweekly column that interrogates the evidence behind health headlines and fact-checks popular wellness claims