I got a full body MRI that cost $2,950 – here's what I thought
The privately-offered scan has stirred up controversy, and here's my opinion.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
Over the past several months, full body MRIs have become a much-debated topic — fuelled partly by celebrity endorsements and a viral article in The Cut.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to do something like this — a one-stop scan that can assess your whole body at once. I'm not a lover of frequent doctor visits, but yet am an eternal worrier.
After years of being told this wasn't possible, the hype around full body MRIs compelled me to try it out for myself – here's what I thought.
What is a full body MRI?
A full body MRI screening is an imaging test that has the ability to detect abnormalities within the body by capturing images of the entire body in one sitting. In a typical healthcare setting, MRIs can be used to take a closer look at a given concern, based on signs and symptoms detected by a physician. However, full body MRIs are used as a screening measure to look for signs of possible cancer and other health issues in the whole body.
Each clinic that offers this type of scan in Canada provides a similar range of images, but offerings may vary slightly.
I was invited by Whole Body MRI to try out their version of the full body scan, which evaluates the body for cancers, diseases and other conditions during the 45-60 minute procedure. More specifically, this includes:
Head and neck: evaluated for detectable cancers, aneurysms and ischemic injury
Spine: assessed for cord abnormalities, disc herniations and degenerative changes
Chest: assessed for any masses greater than 1.5cm
Vital organs in the abdomen and pelvis: assessed for tumours as small as 1 cm and other diseases.
Organs include: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, urinary bladder, ovaries, uterus and prostate
Shoulders, hips, and knees: assessed for obvious musculoskeletal conditions
After the scan, results are provided via an in-depth report, as well as a consultation with the referring physician. This clinic recommends the results only be used as a general awareness of the body, and recommends discussing any concerns with your physician.
How much does a full body MRI cost?
Though the clinic I visited also offers more targeted scans, their namesake Whole Body MRI scan at the clinic I visited costs $2,950 CAD. There are a number of other clinics across the country that offer this type of screening, all with similar price points.
The scanning process
The process is fairly simple, at least for the clinic I visited. Once you're booked, you need to have a referral from your primary care physician.
Once I arrived, I filled out some general paperwork and removed all jewelry (RIP to my permanent Spark bracelet). The MRI technician asked me some questions about my health history. From there, I headed into the MRI room.
I'm a rather fidgety person, so I found it quite difficult to sit still for an entire hour. They had calming music playing through the headphones, which did distract me slightly, but overall, I was counting down from the moment it started.
What got me through was telling myself over and over what a great investment this was in my health and how I would be so disappointed in myself if I moved during the scan and compromised the readability of the images. So, I hunkered down and stayed (mostly) still for the duration.
There were a few sets of images that required you to breathe in line with a timed system. A pre-recorded voice would come through the headphones and instruct you to breathe in and hold it for a set amount of time. It was a welcomed distraction, and in total happened about 10 to 12 times throughout the scan.
Why are private full body MRIs controversial?
It's worth noting this is a relatively new practice here in Ontario, and there are currently only a few clinics that offer the service, which makes it very pricey.
The Government of Canada put out a statement on the use of these technologies, which warns against the potential risks, as well as the caution that these types of scans can have a negative impact on health by giving the potentially false pretence that the person is healthy, when the scan may not pick every illness up. For reference, this report was released in 2003 and has not been updated since.
In a previous piece with Yahoo Canada, Dr. David Urbach, a general surgeon from Women's College Hospital in Toronto, Ont. noted that these types of scans "are not medically necessary for any purpose," adding that "sometimes MRIs don't even pick up everything people might want to search for."
Additionally, if follow-up testing is recommended after an MRI, it may put undue strain on the system in terms of funding, staffing and high wait times for patients who might actually need the scans.
"The public health system is supported by primarily by tax dollars, and there are limited resources. Abnormalities lead to additional tests to prove it is insignificant, which increases the amount of scans altogether," Urbach said. "And resources are not infinite."
There is social controversy around the ethics of whole body MRI scans, specifically where they fit in the context of public versus private healthcare.
This year, Canadians can expect to wait 12.9 weeks, on average for an MRI scan, but many wait much longer.
Private full body MRI scans essentially eliminate the subjectivity of a doctor getting to decide who and what conditions are worthy of the limited MRI resources available. However, of course, these private options are extremely pricey, ringing in at around $3,000 — a price point that many can't afford.
How I got my results — and what they meant
After the scan, I was able to speak to a radiologist, who walked me through the results of the scan. I also received a full PDF report sent to my email, which I could reference as the doctor spoke through the findings.
I was happy to hear that I am in good health and had minor findings. Most of my scans were labelled as "unremarkable," which basically means I'm in the clear.
This scan brought to light some potential lifestyle changes I plan to make. My liver showed mild signs of fatty liver, resulting from my lifestyle of drinking alcohol and eating processed foods. While I wouldn't consider myself a big drinker, it is something to keep in mind as I take control of my health. The doctor noted that this could be from being more sedentary in the winter months as well, and with good eating and exercise, it is completely reversible.
As well, there was some mild arthritis in my back, which the doctor noted is typical for my age, but something I was certainly unaware of.
Would I recommend a full body MRI?
While I fully recognize that this is a privileged point of view, I would say if you have the means, I personally recommend the experience.
For a full body scan, it is miraculously quick. While this doesn't stand to be a full-stop health scan, and people are still encouraged to get routine check-ups and pay attention to their bodies, I'm now able to have a sense of ease when thinking about my health, instead of jumping to conclusions.
Compared to a past MRI experience, this was actually quite stress-free, mostly because it didn't require any contrast dyes that are put in intravenously. And although it had the classic crash-style sounds of an MRI machine, it was significantly quieter than others I've done.
The biggest downside, of course, is the price — as well as the controversy around private healthcare.
Additionally, in a previous interview, Dr. Urbach noted an MRI doesn't rule out all problems — and receiving normal results doesn't mean that you're not at risk for certain conditions, or that you shouldn't get other types of screening.
"There is a risk of false reassurance because MRIs are not designed to detect every type of abnormality," he said. "Average people may not know which things that [an] MRI is good for."
