Early cancer detection through full-body MRI scans is attracting patients, with a price tag of $2,500.

• Over 2,500 individuals have shelled out $2,500 for full-body MRI scans from Prenuvo, a company whose technology can identify more than 500 health conditions.
• One of Prenuvo's licensed radiologists reviews the scans, which take approximately an hour.
• Andrew Lacy, CEO of Prenuvo, stated that catching stage one cancer through their methods will save lives.

During the July Fourth celebration on a boat in Tyler, Texas, Dr. Julianne Santarosa received her full-body MRI scan results, which dampened the holiday mood.

Santarosa, a spinal access surgeon in Dallas, saw a circled spot on the patient portal images from a scan performed by radiologists at Prenuvo, who identified a nodule in her lungs.

She told CNBC in an interview that she felt like something shouldn't be there unless she swallowed a taco chip.

Santarosa, who was 41 at the time, had no reason to suspect anything specific was wrong with her lungs before paying $2,500 for the Prenuvo scan. However, she had been feeling generally off since going through in vitro fertilization and decided to do the scan after seeing a Prenuvo ad on the internet.

The following week, Santarosa had a nodule removed from her body after a cancerous diagnosis was confirmed through a CT scan following her Prenuvo results.

Prenuvo's clinics in the U.S. and Canada are experiencing a surge in demand from curious and concerned patients, prompting the company to open 11 new locations by 2024, including one in London and another in Sydney.

Prenuvo, a life-saving machine, has received praise from Kim Kardashian in an Instagram post that has garnered over 3.4 million likes. The company has also attracted investment from notable figures such as Cindy Crawford, Eric Schmidt, Anne Wojcicki, and Tony Fadell, who collectively raised $70 million in a funding round led by Felicis Ventures late last year.

Prenuvo CEO Andrew Lacy aims to aid customers in comprehending the hidden conditions beneath their skin through his company's technology, which can detect over 500 ailments such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and brain aneurysms. However, the scans' limited audience is due to insurers not covering them, necessitating patients to pay out of pocket.

Santarosa found the imaging to be worth the cost and more. Her cancer was detected early enough to avoid treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, and it hadn't spread to a life-threatening stage.

Santarosa stated that there is no screening test for this condition, and she would have been diagnosed as stage 4 if she had been coughing up blood.

A doctor may order an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, to obtain detailed images of the body. Interpreting these images is a complex science, and the scan can take more than an hour, even if it covers only a part of the body.

Prenuvo's custom MRI machines, which were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018, can scan a person's entire body in approximately one hour. After a scan is completed, the images are evaluated by one of the company's 30 licensed radiologists. Typically, customers receive their results within five to ten business days.

Availability for full-body scans at Prenuvo's clinics in New York, Los Angeles, and Irving is limited, with the next available slot in March, December, and mid-December, respectively.

As awareness has grown "incredibly" in the past 12 months, Lacy stated that the business has spiked.

When I mention my job at Prenuvo, people often respond with, "I heard about that on a podcast" or "That influencer discussed it."

Prenuvo offers a head and torso scan for $1,800 and a torso scan for $1,000 in addition to full-body scans.

‘Old-fashioned scaling’

Lacy stated that Prenuvo is attempting to reduce costs by employing "traditional scaling methods."

Some companies are providing Prenuvo scans as a benefit to their employees, increasing access to the technology. Lacy stated that this works particularly well for companies with self-funded insurance plans, as they can tailor their offerings and assume the risks.

Traditional insurance companies are paying attention.

Lacy explained that over time, data helps insurance companies determine whether to cover something across their offered plans.

Lacy stated that the cost of Prenuvo's services is directly proportional to the amount of time customers spend in the expensive machines. As a result, Prenuvo is exploring ways to lower costs through artificial intelligence and potentially shortening the duration of scans.

Prenuvo's business centers around radiologists, which presents its own set of difficulties.

As the population ages, radiologists are facing increasing caseloads, which has led to burnout. Additionally, emerging technologies like AI have discouraged some young physicians from pursuing the practice. By 2034, the U.S. could see a shortage of up to 35,600 radiologists and other specialists, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges.

So far, it’s a problem Prenuvo has managed to avoid.

Prenuvo has a backlog of radiologists who want to work for the company, as traditional medicine often involves diagnosing patients with serious and advanced diseases, so identifying conditions early can be a welcome change, Lacy said.

Lacy stated that catching stage 1 cancer can save lives.

Full-body MRI scans, despite being expensive, are not meant to replace targeted screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms.

Dr. Jasnit Makkar, an assistant professor of radiology at Columbia University Medical Center, stated in an interview that the tool is meant to be used in conjunction with a physician, but it does not replace a comprehensive diagnostic examination. He added that it is still in development.

Dr. Kimberly Amrami, the vice chair of the department of radiology at Mayo Clinic Rochester, stated that due to the limitations, patients' expectations must be adjusted. She explained that identifying lesions in the lungs can be difficult, and different body parts like the knee, pelvis, breasts, and prostate require distinct scanning techniques.

Amrami stated in an interview that while there is always a desire to conduct an exam that can answer every question, it is not the case with MRI specifically because the way different body parts are evaluated in various disease states is quite different.

Prenuvo avoids using contrast, a heavy metal injected into blood vessels, during its scans. While contrast can aid radiologists in visualizing certain conditions, there is debate about its use, and the company wants to avoid discouraging people.

Lacy stated that Prenuvo's hardware is capable of performing almost as well as Contrast through alternative methods.

He stated that the best solution for screening normal-risk and asymptomatic patients is what we believe to be the best possible solution. If we find something concerning, we often suggest follow-up imaging with contrast.

It is recommended by Amrami that individuals should seek medical advice from their physicians to determine the most suitable imaging method for their needs.

“There is no one-size-fits-all for MRI,” Amrami said.

A look inside a Prenuvo clinic

Lacy was inspired to create Prenuvo after pondering how his high-stress lifestyle was affecting his body. He had previously founded an internet search company and helped establish a gaming company, among other business endeavors.

Lacy learned a lot from the full-body MRI scan he found a radiologist offering an early version of.

Despite my lifestyle affecting my health, I experienced a sense of peace of mind.

Its New York location has the ambiance of a spa combined with a doctor's office, making it the perfect place for relaxation.

Patients are escorted from the clinic's comfortable waiting room to a private space for changing into scrubs and removing their jewelry upon arrival.

During the scan, patients can choose to listen to music or watch TV while lying down in the machine.

Over five years ago, Dr. Eduardo Dolhun, a family physician in San Francisco, decided to get his first Prenuvo scan after Lacy visited his office. Although he was initially skeptical, he was intrigued by the technology and decided to fly to Vancouver, British Columbia, to try an early version of it.

Dolhun consulted with a Mayo Clinic medical school peer after reviewing his results with a Prenuvo radiologist.

Dolhun stated that he believed the conversation would bring about a change in medicine.

Dolhun suggests that he undergoes a scan every 18 months and advises his patients to do the same, in addition to regular physicals and mammograms.

“Good science takes time,” he said.

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