An initial experience with the use of whole body MRI for cancer screening and regular health checks

Objectives We evaluated the utility of whole-body MRI (WB MRI) for cancer screening and other regular health evaluations. Methods This retrospective study included 229 patients who underwent whole-body MRI as part of a routine health examination and cancer screening. The WB MRIs and radiologic reports were evaluated by a musculoskeletal radiologist, a neuroradiologist, and an abdominal radiologist. The consensus of their findings was characterized into three categories, as follows: suspicion of malignancy (category I); need for follow-up (category II); and no need for follow-up (category III). Any correlations between the abnormal findings and each study group were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test. Results There were six category I lesions, among which two cases were found to involve malignancy. The most common category II findings were annular tears of the disc (14% of category II findings) and severe disc bulging or protrusion, followed by shoulder bursitis and uterine myoma. The most common category III finding was mild disc bulging or protrusion (47% of category III findings). Conclusions WB MRI can be used in cancer screening and for regular health evaluations. WB MRI not only provides information about potential malignancy, but also provides information regarding nonmalignant abnormalities that require further evaluation.