What I'm reading: "Will a Full-Body MRI Scan Help You Or Hurt You?"

What I'm reading: A New Yorker article titled, Will a Full-Body MRI Scan Help You or Hurt You? As with all article headlines that end with a question mark, the answer is no.

That might sound like a joke. But it's real, and it reflects the complex reality of elective full-body MRIs. A few facts from the article:

• There have been cases in which people got a full-body MRI and discovered dangerous cancers early enough to treat them easily

• The chances that this will be you are about 0.1%

• The chances you will experience harm from false positives — via added testing, unnecessary treatments, or simply stress or worry — are about 5% to 10%

The underlying psychology: Given the continuing presence of deadly cancers in our society, full-body MRIs give people a sense of agency and control. Sometimes, they also result in radical life-saving discoveries, which make for good marketing fodder. More frequently, but still not very often, they lead to low-grade worry and hassle, which don't make for good stories and don't get shared much.

So what's the conclusion? One smart option is to play the odds and skip full-body MRIs altogether. Another smart option is to not fool around, do the full-body MRIs often:

According to the article, medical professionals are largely against elective full-body MRIs. Private individuals are largely for — 99% had a positive experience, and many recommend the test to friends. If you want help making up your own mind and deciding what to do, the New Yorker article is worth a read.