MRI? Useful or Useless?

I am conflicted as I write this. Not a day passes without me reading about health. As I do so, when something catches my eye, I dig deeper into the research. The aim is to separate wheat from chaff. What is left behind becomes the basis for these daily articles.

One such article was about the benefits of a full body MRI scan.

I reported how I got one done. It showed everything was clear. I was not at risk for a disease. At least not imminently. A full body scan, could, in theory, solve the holy grail in cancer. Early detection.

But the truth could be more nuanced.

A meta study was conducted for the last decade. Over 9024 patients. 1.57% were detected with cancer. Keep in mind that the rate of detection is similar to the incidence of cancer globally.

So what should you do?

That is my conflict. Everyday, as I read and learn about health I am humbled. By the complexity of the human body. By the dizzying pace of research, information, updates and new technology. But also by the difficulty to separate truth from fiction.

So would I recommend an MRI scan after the research report? I am a big believer in diagnostics. In tracking and measuring. In the power of information to compel you to act.

When you try to meaure, you need to weigh the relative benefits versus the costs. Standing on a weighing scale versus getting a whole body MRI, for example.

If the cost and benefit are balanced, you would do it. So weighing yourself everyday is a no-brainer.

But an MRI?

There are no silver bullets in medicine. Obviously the 1.57% who were detected had a better chance of surviving.

To contrast, a friend told me how her relative had got a whole body MRI that was all clear, only to find out there was cancer a few months later.

Only you can choose what is best for you, hopefully with a balanced, researched, point of view provided by me.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain