Getting a "scan of everything" may sound like the ultimate health flex, but one cancer specialist says she's not buying in just yet. In a Washington Post column, Dr. Netana Markovitz, an oncology fellow, explains why she wouldn't shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars for an elective full-body MRI, despite rising cancer rates and relentless social media buzz. The American College of Radiology, she notes, already advises against such scans for people without symptoms, risk factors, or suggestive family history, and there's no solid evidence that they actually help people live longer.
Markovitz lays out three main problems. First, "whole-body" isn't really whole; these MRIs often miss key areas or lack the detail of targeted tests, meaning cancers—like colorectal, which is climbing in younger adults—can slip through. Second, a clean scan can lull people into skipping proven screenings such as mammograms or colonoscopies. Third, vague or false-positive findings can trigger cascades of follow-up scans, biopsies, cost, and anxiety. Instead, she urges people to stick with established screenings, manage blood sugar and cholesterol, and tailor tests to personal risk. "I'm not saying whole-body MRIs will never have a more mainstream role," Markovitz writes, "but I need to see more rigorous data on long-term outcomes before I'd ever recommend them to my patients." The full piece can be found here.
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