How MRIs Save Lives With Early Cancer Detection

What Do MRIs Show?

Using MRIs, doctors can develop cross-section images of a person’s insides. In other words, MRIs create images in “slices.” They explore bodies through multiple angles. When doctors look at MRI pictures, they see a person from the side, front, and above. MRIs can detect parts of a person that are sometimes difficult to uncover using other tests. This is one of the main reasons why MRIs are a favored imaging technique for some tumors.

What Cancers Can MRIs See?

MRIs are extremely adept at seeing certain kinds of tumors. An MRI with contrasting dye is the preferred method for detecting spinal cord and brain tumors. MRIs can detect these tumors early in their development, before they have metastasized. Early detection is very important for cancer treatment.

When cancer metastasizes, it spreads to other parts of the body. It’s a sign that the cancer has become more serious, more deadly. In many cases, there is little a doctor can do after the cancer has grown into multiple parts of the body. One of the great things about MRIs is they can detect tumors early. Early detection allows doctors to treat cancer in a timely manner.

Why Early Detection Is Important

There is no doubt that cancer is most treatable when we detect it early. Too often doctors find tumors when they have already developed into other areas and, as a result, are unable to make the quick decisions that save lives. Using MRIs, we detect tumors of the brain and spinal cord early enough to make a difference. Doctors can use the information gathered from MRIs to determine specialized therapies. This is why it’s very important to get tested for cancer. Unfortunately, many people don’t detect their cancers soon enough.

Why People Put Off Cancer Tests

If you talk to doctors about the most upsetting parts of the job, they will likely reference the people they could not save because their illnesses were not detected soon enough. Death is always a tragedy, but death that could have been avoided is especially painful. There are many reasons people put off MRIs that detect cancers, including:

• It can be expensive. Especially for underinsured people, medical expenses add up. Many people avoid tests because they don’t want to pay the bill. But, in truth, there are few things more worth your money than your health. Don’t let your cancer go undetected just because you didn’t want to pay.
  
  
• Bad news can be frightening. Some people avoid medical examinations like MRIs because they are afraid the tests could uncover bad news. People are so nervous about what the MRI could reveal that they decide to skip the procedure altogether. Yes, MRIs can be scary. No one wants to learn that they have cancer. But if a doctor recommends you undergo an MRI, it doesn’t automatically mean bad news. They just want to take the precaution. Also, if you do have cancer, ignoring the problem will not offer a solution. It’s better to get tested and face the truth.
  
  
• People are incorrectly nervous about the radiation. MRI machines work their magic by creating a magnetic field around the person being studied. During the process, people are exposed to radio waves. Some patients have the misconception that this technology is dangerous. But that is incorrect. An MRI’s radiation is relatively harmless. Do not let a baseless fear about radiation get in the way of learning vital medical information.