A new editorial published in JAMA outlines the downsides of elective MRI screenings.
The authors of the editorial, who are leading radiologists, say that these screenings are “not recommended and can do more harm than good.” The commercial popularity of whole-body MRI “has only increased” in the three years after a “warning that evidence did not support such elective screenings.” Professional organizations have also not given endorsements for the practice.
One of the points raised in the editorial is that “detecting certain cancers early is not always beneficial.” Many diseases that progress slowly can “resemble each other on an MRI scan, requiring further diagnostic procedures, such as surgery, which contain their own risks.” One study found that patients who were screened for ovarian cancer observed no mortality benefit over those who weren’t, and “more than 1,000 patients underwent unnecessary surgery.” More aggressive cancers progress “so quickly that MRI screening provides no measurable benefit.”
Additionally, a psychological toll can be taken by undergoing elective screening. The authors cite a “3 in 10 chance that something uncertain shows up on the scan, which can exacerbate worries and lead to additional anxiety associated with the risks and costs of diagnostic surgery.”
