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What About the Total Body Imaging Screening That I hear Advertised?

Recently in the media, there have been several new business ventures which have heavily promoted "Total Body Scanning". Although this has resulted in a greatly increased awareness of medical imaging technology these advertising compaigns have caused significant confusion in the minds of patients and physicians alike. The practice of advertising complex medical imaging exams directly to the public has the potential to circumvent the traditional relationship that should exist between a patient and his or her personal physician. The patient shouldn't be given the impression that results of a screening medical imaging exam performed in isolation is the "final answer", because the results of any screening exam must be evaluated by the personal physician in context of that patient's medial history , physical examination, and other laboratory tests.

Although total body screening with CT or MRI may seem impressive, the problem that in asymptomatic patient populations, total body imaging leads to more false positive findings than true positive findings, and often leads to additional diagnostic testing or invasive procedures. In addition, a normal imaging examination does not rule out some very serious and unfortunately common cancers such as colon, prostate, or breast cancer.

We therefore limit the use of screening CT scanning to the two following screening exams: (1) Low Dose CT Lung Scan for early ling cancer detection in those patients with risk factors for lung cancer, and (2) Coronary Artery Scoring for the detection of coronary artery disease in those patients at risk for this disease. We do not perform screening CT of the abdomen, pelvis, neck, or brain. Keep in mind CT is a very useful test when requested by a physician for a specific medical indication.

Although TIMC does not advocate screening of the abdomen and pelvis by either CT or MRI, if one were to do so, high-field strength MRI has several advantages over CT or low-field strength MRI scanners. First, MRI poses virtually no diagnostic risk because it does not utilize ionizing radiation. Although the false positive rate will likely exceed the true positive rate in asymptomatic adult populations, the body is not irradiated, and true disease can be detected and characterized. This exam only makes sense for patients who have a high concern of abdominal disease, and have already received conventional medical evaluation (history and physical exam by their doctor). We perform the exam thoroughly, including the use of I.V. Gadolinium, and the interpretation includes comparison to relevant prior examinations.

What About the Open MRI Scanners That I hear Advertised?

MRI scanning facilities vary greatly with differences in the type of MRI scanners and the professionals providing the interpretations. TIMC offers a new type of MRI scanner that is specifically designed for patient comfort due to the larger patient opening and shorter scanner design. In general, High Field strength MR scanners produce superior images in less time compared to Open or Low Field strength techniques.

In addition, some types of MRI exams may be impossible to perform or be limited in quality on some Open or Low Field strength devices. Theses special types of exams include MR angiography, MR spectroscopy, optimal body MRI, breast MRI and diffusion imaging.

If you instead choose an Open or Low Field MRI, you should recognize that the exam will take longer and the image quality will usually be lower compared to other High Field strength devices. This may or may not affect the ultimate diagnostic result and treatment. As a result, we believe the Open and other Low Field MRI devices should be reserved for only those patients with severe claustrophobia who are unwilling to take sedation medication, which is highly effective in allowing nearly all individuals to tolerate the comfort-designed High Field MR devices.

DON'T BE FOOLED......BY ADVERTISING THAT SUGGESTS THAT ONE TEST, LIKE TOTAL BODY IMAGING OR OPEN MRI CAN EFFEDTIVELY EVALUATE YOUR WHOLE BODY. AVOID UNNECESSARY TESTING, EXPENSE, CONCERN OR FALSE REASSURANCE BY CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR AND TEMPLETON IMAGING.

WHY TRUST TEMPLETON IMAGING?

* We serve doctors and patients by providing some of the finest, most innovative, and ethical medical imaging services whether you have a known illness or are seeking to detect problems when no symptoms exist
* We work directly with your primary care of specialist physician when interpreting medical imaging exams, we seek input and communicate with you doctor. Medical imaging screening exams are not intended to replace a complete medical history, a thorough physical examination, and other screening tests ordered or performed by you personal physician.
* Templeton Imaging is a comprehensive provider of medical imaging services so we can offer the right test to match your precise needs. We provide the latest and best MRI, Multi-detector Helical CT, Ultrasound, Radiography, Mammography, Stereotactic Breast Biopsy, Interventional Radiology and Bone Densitometry.
* We can perform appropriate follow-up. If your exam indicates a need for further imaging evaluation, as a provider of comprehensive medial imaging services, we have the expertise and breadth of technology required to perform necessary follow-up. When there is a failure to perform a complete imaging interpretation and complete exam it often leads to unnecessary false positive exams, unneeded patient concern and medical expense.
* We interpret your imaging exam after careful comparison to prior studies. Our standard of practice as a diagnostic imaging provider is to include relevant prior exams in our interpretations. TIMC's world leading computerized technologies enables us to instantly access prior exams performed at TIMC and provide results and images promptly to referring doctors.
* We believe you should know the risks and limitations of any imaging exam. In contrast , some providers promote electron beam CT as a solution for all medical examinations without fully disclosing what it fails to detect and other providers promote Open-type MRI in the media, while failing to inform patients that this technology is typically slower, less flexible, and lower in image quality.

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