KCAL/CBS Los Angeles: "Preventive full-body MRI scans: Vital information or unnecessary worry?"

There is no enough evidence that suggests that full-body MRI scans for patients without clinical symptoms will be helpful to them. Dr. Elmore discusses the topic of full-body scans in an interview with KCAL/CBS Los Angeles reporter Joy Benedict.

"There's no evidence it's going to help them. And it has potential harms," said Dr. Joann Elmore. "If you're getting this exam for reassurance and to calm your anxiety about potentially having diseases, being told you have lots of potential abnormalities inside your body that then are going to lead you to have multiple tests is problematic," said Elmore.

Elmore says we all have abnormalities in our bodies, and although MRIs themselves have little-known side effects, she says the rabbit hole of possible issues can drain your mental health and your budget.

"It can put you on a perilous cascade," said Elmore. "There's no scientific evidence that detecting these lesions earlier is going to save lives. If there was, I would recommend it."

Go to the CBS News article and video