Full-body scan

Is it right for you?

The full-body scan is one of the most scrutinized new developments in the world of advanced medical imaging. Unlike a partial scan, which might focus only on the heart or colon, the full-body version provides virtual access to the whole body. The controversy lies in whether or not it offers too much of a good thing.

While the full-body scan can detect small cancers, it can also identify other benign anatomical abnormalities (a cyst in the liver, for example). Many of the body’s organs house small tumors or cysts that would likely remain dormant — and safe — if left alone. But once we discover things that have the label “cyst” or “tumor” — even if they would not harm us — we bear the burden of deciding whether or not to do something about them. While many of us believe that what we don’t know won’t hurt us, we also worry that what we do know will. It’s sort of like the cartoon character who, having run headlong off the edge of a cliff, is fine until he looks down and realizes he has a problem.

“When something surfaces in a scan but may not be a problem,” says Dr. Daniel Hightower, chairperson, diagnostic/interventional imaging division at Community Hospital, “we have to weigh the risk of follow-up procedures against benefit, not to mention the cost. We have the capability to gather this information, but should we? We want patients to be informed by our literature and also their doctors. They must make the decision about what to do with the information the scan yields.”

Curious consumers should keep in mind that these scans, which currently range from about $300 for a lung scan to as much as $1,500 for a full-body workup, are not typically covered by insurance. In addition, there is a danger of too much radiation. These scans involve significantly higher doses than standard X-rays.

After carefully weighing all these considerations, the goal, says Hightower, is to provide the most advanced technology on the market, with well-trained doctors and staff to follow up and interpret.

“A lot of entrepreneurs in the medical field,” says Hightower, “are touting that the full-body scans save lives. And doctors and patients have certainly asked about this technology. But although we have the capability, it is not without controversy.” And it is not Community Hospital’s policy to provide a service simply because the technology is available. It must demonstrate proven benefits, too.

Community Hospital CEO Dr. Steven Packer says the hospital will provide the full-body scan to the local community but will not formally market its benefits or availability until it is endorsed by the American College of Radiology.

There is such speculation about the full-body scan, in fact, that the chairman of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital is quoted in a HealthCare Advisory Board report as saying: “It is remarkable to me (that) without any scientific validation whatsoever, people are walking in and paying $1,000 for this test, which does not even diagnose three of the top four cancers people get.”