America's healthcare system is the world’s most expensive and yet the outcomes are failing us. We can all agree that it is broken. We’re seeing people navigate health systems that are not well equipped to provide the accessible, safe, accurate care we need, and we’re experiencing lengthy delays. In fact, waiting months for an appointment with a specialist seems commonplace here and puts your health into the hands of others - we end up in a waiting game and feeling out of control. 

How can we gain that control back and practice a more proactive healthcare trend? There are options out there! We spoke to Prenuvo, a fast-growing private health tech company that’s turning healthcare upside down. Rather than wait for symptoms to present and disease to progress, Prenuvo provides early insight into what is going on under the skin. Their mission is to transform the medical paradigm from reactive to proactive. Early detection is more than the key to a better outcome and greater life expectancy; it’s a pathway to your overall peace of mind. When it comes to health, knowledge is power and Prenuvo wants to put that power—in its most innovative and in-depth form—in your hands.

We spoke with them in more detail about the services Prenuvo offers and how their MRI body scans can help with early detection, changing the outcomes of your health. We also touched on the downfalls of traditional CT scans and how Prenuvo takes a holistic, whole-body approach, giving visibility into cross-organ correlations and the holistic functioning of our bodies. 

Can you give us a little more context about who you guys are and what services you offer? 

Prenuvo’s mission is to switch the healthcare paradigm from reactive to proactive by offering advanced whole-body MRI scans designed for early detection of cancers and other diseases. Our approach to whole-body MRI imaging is one that is preventative, fast (under an hour), safe (without contrast or radiation), and comfortable. Our model is based on 10 years of clinical work and it enables patients to access insights into their health faster than the traditional diagnostic MRI methods. 

Who is a good candidate for your scans and is there anyone who would not be eligible to get one? 

We cater for a diverse range of people seeking our scans – from patients who are into biohacking, or people wanting a complete picture of their metastatic disease to those with a genetic predisposition or family history of diseases. The most common reason why people come to Prenuvo is for early detection. Since the pandemic, we have noticed that patients are really seeking out proactive healthcare for early detection and comprehensive assessments of their overall well-being. The value that people see in our type of scan is that it provides a full-body baseline of their health and at the very least, provides powerful peace of mind. 

We always evaluate each patient’s referral requests to determine if a Prenuvo scan or other imaging test would be better suited to them. If a patient has a specific symptom, there are instances where a targeted diagnostic test, usually with a contrast injection, would be most appropriate. 

What is the downfall of the traditional CT scans that are used so often? 

Historical attempts at whole-body CT screening were not advised due to radiation and the inability of CT to characterize solid tissue without contrast. Because of the associated risks of harmful physiological effects associated with this, CT is not an attractive modality for an effective whole-body screening program. 

Our approach to whole-body MRI imaging is one that is geared for early detection, fast yet comprehensive, and safe. We can screen the torso for cancer in under half an hour, and in under an hour our comprehensive scan cohesively covers all eight body parts (head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, C, T, L spine - plus legs ) at full diagnostic quality, in addition to solid tumors at Stage 1. We do all this without harmful radiation or contrast. 

How do your scans differ from traditional MRI technologies out there? 

Unlike targeted diagnostic MRI imaging, Prenuvo takes a holistic, whole-body approach, giving visibility into cross-organ correlations and the holistic functioning of our bodies.  A Prenuvo scan uses both anatomical and functional imaging sequences, and an approach called multiparametric imaging to scan many organs of the body in one session. 

By using this technique, Prenuvo scans capture 10x more images of a diagnostic quality compared to traditional MRI methods. Beyond just capturing more images, diffusion-weighted imaging enables us to screen for hardness – given that most tumors are hard – without using contrast. Most standard MRI systems are not capable of performing these specialized whole-body MRI sequences at an acceptable speed, image resolution, or similar multiparametric comprehensiveness. 

How does the Prenuvo process work? Take us through what to expect while working with you guys!

Before booking an appointment for a Prenuvo scan, all patients must get a referral from a health practitioner because this is a medical diagnostic scan. For those who don’t have a primary physician, we can arrange for them to get a referral through an independent medical practitioner at no additional cost to the patient.

Once they’re ready, they can book their appointment with us online through our booking site: https://prenuvo.com/book-an-appointment or by calling us at 1-833-773-6886. All patients must fill out secure safety and medical history questionnaires that will be reviewed by our team. Then before their scan, patients receive pre-scan reminders from our team, including fasting instructions (so that our machine can capture clear images of the stomach and gallbladder). 

Every Prenuvo scan is read by a board-certified radiologist, who writes a detailed report that is understandable by the patient and color coded for ease of review by their physician. For continuity of care, our team of health practitioners will go through and explain the report with the patient on a call and answer their questions. 

The beauty of the Prenuvo experience is that we are with the patient from start to finish.  If there is an instance where there is a finding, the scans will go to a group of health practitioners who discuss next steps directly with the patient and ensure they are connected into the medical system for follow-up care. It’s important for us to be a part of the patient’s entire journey and we want to provide them with that care spectrum that every patient should have. 

Why are most people being diagnosed too late when it comes to standard medical care? What are the issues being faced here? 

Many patients and physicians have reached the realization that our current healthcare system needs to be complemented with a preventative health approach. Currently, our healthcare system is based on a reactive “sick-care” model, waiting until people are sick before treating them rather than proactively addressing their overall health and wellbeing. The reality is, advanced stage disease is more expensive to treat and can lead to worse health outcomes. Prenuvo gives people the opportunity to take control of their health journey and live happier and healthier lives.

How is Prenuvo changing the face of medical care from reactive to proactive? And why is this so important?

In our decade-long history of imaging, we’ve been able to find many early-stage cancers in patients who were not expecting to find anything wrong. To date, our scans have provided a life-saving diagnosis for around 1 in every 20 patients. Our goal is to empower people to take control of their health.  We aim to make our scans as accessible and affordable as possible as we know that catching conditions before they become critical can reduce a lot of the financial and emotional burden. 

What types of health concerns can you guys find with your scans that other traditional standard testing would miss? 

A single Prenuvo scan assesses almost all of the organs in the body and detects most solid tumors in Stage 1. We also scan for, but are not limited to: 

• solid tumors as small as 1 cm in organs located in the chest, abdomen and pelvis 
• cancer from benign conditions such as cysts, hematomas, hemangiomas and abscesses 
• disc herniation, spinal cord abnormalities, and spinal degeneration
• musculoskeletal conditions, fatty liver disease, hemochromatosis, pre-kidney stones, and multiple sclerosis
• prostate, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers in the pelvis
• brain aneurysms, small vessel ischemia (stroke risk factor), previous strokes, and sinus issues

For patients, a Prenuvo scan can lead to early diagnosis of potentially life-threatening conditions like cancer and aneurysms but it also provides insights into the effects of a patient’s lifestyle on their underlying health. The hope is that these insights encourage relatively simple lifestyle changes that will prevent a patient from progressing to complex, irreversible conditions.