[Total body scan: struggle between emotion and science].

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging technologies
• Preventive medicine
• Health economics

Context:

• Commercial screening centers emerged in the late 1990s.
• Initial focus on asymptomatic tumors and cardiovascular diseases using CT and MRI.
• Expansion to broader screening packages including PSA and pulmonary/cardiac function tests.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the utility and potential harms of commercial health screening for asymptomatic conditions.
• To assess the economic implications of false positive findings in widespread screening programs.

Summary:

• Despite the appeal of early detection, current research raises significant doubts about the effectiveness of commercial screening for asymptomatic individuals.
• The high costs of managing false positive results, often covered by general health insurance, are a major concern.
• Lack of data on the usefulness of newer screening packages, including PSA and cardiopulmonary tests, suggests potential harm rather than benefit.

Impact:

• Widespread commercial screening may lead to unnecessary medical interventions and increased healthcare expenditures.
• Further research is needed to establish the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of these screening practices.
• Potential for patient harm due to anxiety and invasive follow-up procedures resulting from false positive screening results.