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One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

pharmatimes.com

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Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#3
post #2

With sufficient software and computational horsepower, a single whole-body MRI could replace most diagnostic imaging systems, I'd wager. Computer models regularly outperform radiologists in diagnosing several conditions involving structural abnormalities.

On to driving down the cost of MRIs and eliminating their need for helium.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#5

> The average cost of a WB-MRI scan for NSCLC patients was £317 Wow! $3000+ here in the US. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

If you prepay, costs around $400 to $500, but that is not involving private insurance.

https://www.mdsave.com/

Not affiliated, just interesting to see prices of various diagnostics around the US.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#6

> The average cost of a WB-MRI scan for NSCLC patients was £317 Wow! $3000+ here in the US. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

State of the art MRI machine costs $3 million up front. Would take 20 scans a week, every week, for 10 years to break even on that investment at $300 per scan. Not counting physician & staff time or cost of capital.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#7
post #6

> The average cost of a WB-MRI scan for NSCLC patients was £317 Wow! $3000+ here in the US. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

State of the art MRI machine costs $3 million up front. Would take 20 scans a week, every week, for 10 years to break even on that investment at $300 per scan. Not counting physician & staff time or cost of capital.

For reference, I recently went to an MRI ‘center’ and their business hours are 7:30am to 10pm 7 days a week.

So, even charging $500 and booking every 30 minutes, payback on investment is much less than a year.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#8
post #2

With sufficient software and computational horsepower, a single whole-body MRI could replace most diagnostic imaging systems, I'd wager. Computer models regularly outperform radiologists in diagnosing several conditions involving structural abnormalities.

CT scans still have higher resolution than MRI for certain vascular and cardiac imaging studies. The down side is radiation exposure.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#9
post #6

> The average cost of a WB-MRI scan for NSCLC patients was £317 Wow! $3000+ here in the US. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

State of the art MRI machine costs $3 million up front. Would take 20 scans a week, every week, for 10 years to break even on that investment at $300 per scan. Not counting physician & staff time or cost of capital.

My insurer pays like $450. The hospitals seem to be doing ok, if anything there are way too many MRIs out there.

Re: One whole-body MRI could replace multiple cancer scans

#10
post #6

> The average cost of a WB-MRI scan for NSCLC patients was £317 Wow! $3000+ here in the US. Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

State of the art MRI machine costs $3 million up front. Would take 20 scans a week, every week, for 10 years to break even on that investment at $300 per scan. Not counting physician & staff time or cost of capital.

Only 20 scans a week?

A scan takes 30-60 minutes. So even if they only work 8 hour days and assume an hour for lunch/flex that's 35 scans per 5 day week. If they use it on weekends at all or run it for more than eight hours, that's just gravy.

I'm not sure where you got the 20 scans a week number.

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