Cancer
MRI Technology
Preventative Care

Why Whole-Body MRIs are Changing the Game in Early Detection

By Brian Tsui, MD
June 2, 2025

Your body has a story to tell. How do we better understand it?  The most important insights come from what’s going on inside. Yes, sometimes it is something serious like cancer. More often, it’s something that is currently mild but if not corrected, could lead to heart disease or liver failure later on. Regardless, early detection can change your future. It all starts with knowing your body.

What Is a Whole-Body MRI—and Why Is It Different?

Unlike traditional MRIs, which zero in on one specific body part, a whole-body MRI scans your entire body from head to toe—all without radiation exposure. That means you can identify a wide range of potential issues, including cancers, aneurysms, fatty liver disease, uterine fibroids, and joint degeneration, all in a single session.

Whole-body MRI offers unprecedented insight into your overall health. It provides superior contrast resolution and is the best noninvasive method for evaluating soft tissue structures such as the brain.

Unlike X-rays or CT scans, MRI doesn’t use ionizing radiation—making it ideal for safe, repeatable screening.

How MRIs Work

Whole-body MRIs use powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of your organs, tissues, and structures. The MRI scanner detects differences in how tissues respond to the magnetic field, allowing it to capture incredibly clear, high-contrast images that reveal abnormalities like tumors, inflammation, or structural changes in soft tissue.

CoreViva enhances this process with advanced AI that helps interpret these images with greater precision. These AI-assisted systems are trained to distinguish between normal variations and concerning findings, reducing the risk of false positives and assisting radiologists to focus on what truly matters—getting you accurate answers faster.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

Even with regular check-ups and basic bloodwork, traditional screening is shockingly limited. In fact:

  • More than 50% of diagnosed cancers don’t have recommended screening tests.
  • 85% of diagnosed cancers are missed by current screening protocols altogether.
  • Screening for major cancers like breast and colorectal cancer begins at ages 40–45, leaving younger adults completely unprotected—even as early-onset cases rise.

Between 1990 and 2019, early-onset cancers (diagnosed before age 50) surged by nearly 80% worldwide. Even more alarming? Experts expect cancer cases to rise another 31% by 2030, with young adults increasingly affected by types of cancer that once appeared only in older populations.

When you consider that Stage I cancers are 4x more survivable and 2–4x less expensive to treat than later-stage disease, early detection is everything.

The Asymptomatic Threat

Here’s the kicker: many of these conditions show no symptoms until they progress significantly.

Whole-Body MRIs can detect:

  • Tumors in the kidney, pancreas, ovaries, bone, and prostate—before they spread.
  • Aneurysms and structural heart conditions that could lead to heart failure.
  • Early-stage degenerative disc disease before it becomes chronic back pain.
  • Fatty liver disease, often symptomless until advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis occurs.

Whole-Body MRIs are about catching what your Fitbit and blood tests can’t.

The Full 360: Your Health, Holistically

Beyond serious disease, a whole-body MRI also offers insight into your lifestyle. CoreViva patients can use their scans to understand how their training, posture, diet, or previous injuries affect their bodies over time.

Our scans help people get ahead of chronic pain, detect early joint arthritis, or track the impact of lifestyle changes. It’s about creating a personalized roadmap to better health.

Do I Really Want to Know?

It’s completely natural to feel a little unsure. But knowing more about your health allows you to take control and make empowered choices. Catching something early often means more options and greater peace of mind. And if something does come up, CoreViva offers guidance, support, and next steps that are clear and compassionate, at no additional charge, as part of their commitment to follow-up care.

 

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just peace of mind. It’s a decision backed by science, driven by precision, and designed for the long haul. People in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and older are using whole-body MRIs as part of their personal health strategy—to live better, not just longer.

Pair it with your healthy lifestyle, regular bloodwork, and self-care rituals. It’s the medical equivalent of knowing your body inside and out.


About CoreViva

CoreViva is a physician-led health technology company redefining preventive care with advanced whole-body MRI. Our mission is to improve early detection and treatment through the nation’s most advanced whole-body MRI, wellness education, and a world-class patient experience. By combining state-of-the-art imaging, AI-enhanced diagnostics, and compassionate care, CoreViva empowers individuals with deeper insights into their health—before symptoms arise. Learn more at www.coreviva.com and Know Your Body.

Brian Tsui, MD, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Brian Tsui is the Chief Medical Officer at CoreViva and a former attending radiologist at UCSF with a clinical focus in neuroradiology and research in artificial intelligence and MRI protocol optimization. He has authored nearly 40 presentations, publications, and book chapters with topics including brain vessel imaging, women’s imaging, and musculoskeletal tumors.