What is the Prenuvo MRI scan? Experts say Kim Kardashian's $2500 treatment could be 'terrible' for patients
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kim Kardashian has undergone a Prenuvo scan which has been a celebrity favorite for long. Prenuvo scan, which is an MRI detecting abnormalities in the body as a precautionary measure.
With a photo from the scanning room, the founder of SKIMS praised the diagnostic procedure in a long post on Instagram, which involves a large sum that common people may not be able to afford. She started saying, “I recently did this @prenuvo scan and had to tell you all about this life-saving machine.”
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Claiming that this is a non-sponsored post, the 42-year-old said, “The Prenuvo full-body scan has the ability to detect cancer and diseases such as aneurysms in its earliest stages before symptoms arise.” The full-body scan costs $2500 per the company's website.
She explained, “It was like getting a MRI for an hour with no radiation. It has really saved some of my friends lives and I just wanted to share.” The mother-of-four is however not the first in their can to undergo the scan as the family matriarch Kris Jenner too underwent the same procedure previously.
What is a Prenuvo scan?
Prenuvo scan, per the company’s website, is dubbed as a “Proactive Screening for peace of mind.” The company describes the Prenuvo scan as “early insight into what is going on under the skin.”
The founders opine that the scan has the capability of identifying anomalies in a body preemptively, which may lead to timely intervention and treatment. They opine, “Armed with detailed health information, you'll be able to make proactive, informed decisions about your health.”
The modern-day scan is an MRI machine that creates three-dimensional images of structures inside the body. Unlike X-Ray machines, they do not use radiation to create images.
The scan which has been a favorite among celebrities like Menounos, Paris Hilton, Cindy Crawford, and Miranda Kerr - helps the person to take independent decisions about scanning one’s body.
Per the website’s listing a torso scan costs around $900, a head-and-torso scan is about $1800, and $2,500 for a whole-body scan. It has also mentioned that they do not take insurance.
The company was founded by Dr Raj Attariwala and Andrew Lacy, who is now serving as the company’s CEO. they opine that the scan checks for 362 conditions including tumors and aneurysms.
In an interview with Forbes, Lacy revealed the inspiration behind the inception of the company. He said, "One of Raj's friends, a 36-year-old mother of four, was diagnosed with stage four metastatic colon cancer. She died within a year. The tragedy inspired Raj to start the company and offer people a way to detect cancer sooner.”
What do doctors say about the Prenuvo scan?
Although the founders of the company encourage everyone to get a scan done every year, doctors are still skeptical about its effectiveness. The American College of Preventive Medicine does not encourage whole-body scans for asymptomatic people, as they opine there is a lack of evidence for their effectiveness.
Dr. Matthew Davenport, vice chair of the American College of Radiology's Quality and Safety Commission, once told Insider, "It's a terrible idea,” citing that it may lead to unnecessary diagnostic tests taking.
"You find all sorts of stuff that would never occur to the patient," Dr. Davenport said before adding, "And you end up triggering workups, biopsies for imaging studies, operations, for findings in the body that would never have any importance for the patient."