A different kind of runway was part of New York Fashion Week for influencers and VIPs: the bed of an MRI machine.
Prenuvo is one company behind the growing trend of full-body MRI scans. Founded in 2018, it describes its mission to "transform the medical paradigm from reactive to proactive." It offers a 20-minute torso scan for $999 — the "quickest scan to search for cancer in the torso." Other options include a 45-minute head and torso scan (including the brain) for $1,799 and a 60-minute whole body scan for $2,499.
The company is working to draw social media exposure from influencers and celebrities to position diagnostic scans as a wellness service. In early September, it worked with a fashion public relations agency to set up appointments for select fashionistas, according to The New York Times. One French fashion editor plugged the MRI on Instagram, noting he received his scan between runway shows. American fashion designer Zac Posen posted a photo of himself sitting on the MRI bed. "I am happy to report I am 'all healthy' and thankful for a fantastic experience," his Instagram caption reads.
Prenuvo Founder and CEO Andrew Lacy told the NYT that the company does not pay anyone to promote its products. It does offer complimentary scans to influencers and prominent figures in the wellness industry "in exchange for an honest review if they feel like it," he said.
Beyond runways in New York City are Google reviews for Prenuvo penned by paying customers. "PS you get to watch Netflix in the MRI pretty cool stuff," one user noted in their five-star review from August. "When you walk in, you are greeted with cleanliness, high ceilings, and sophistication," another noted.
Google is populated by four- and five-star reviews of Prenuvo in a number of U.S. cities, which can make the one-star ratings stand out: "I purchased a scan in Minneapolis. I was sent to the local hospital/clinic. They [didn't] have [their] own offices or equipment. I spoke with the tech about the MRI scanner we'd be using. It was 15 years old, same machine the hospital uses," one user wrote about the Minneapolis location. "Prenuvo has the awesome website and a lot of big promises but at the end of the day, they are just contracting with your local MRI at your local hospital/clinic. Don't ask any questions, nothing to see here!"
The medical community has shown lukewarm reactions and skepticism to Prenuvo and other startups like it. While some physicians have said they understand why people might be drawn to full-body diagnostic testing for a sense of control, many ultimately point to the cancer screening schedule that physicians recommend to patients, which is usually covered by insurance. (Prenuvo notes that its scans are generally not covered by health insurance, with the forecast that "it might take years, unfortunately, for healthcare plans to cover preventative MRI scans," according to its website.)
In April, the American College of Radiology released a statement about direct-to-consumer imaging, noting it "does not believe there is sufficient evidence to justify recommending total body screening for patients with no clinical symptoms, risk factors or a family history suggesting underlying disease or serious injury."
"You don't want to just willy-nilly bomb everybody with X-rays," Michael Pignone, MD, chair of internal medicine at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and former member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, told the NYT. He noted concern that people will place effort in follow-up imaging for MRI findings instead of following the recommended schedule for health screenings, which are backed by a wealth of research on efficacy and recommended for the general population.
A Prenuvo spokesperson told the NYT that 5 percent of people who receive a Prenuvo scan are alerted to "potentially life-saving findings."