24 June 2025

ASMIRT President, Naomi Gibson, has spoken to the Australian Financial Review about whole-body MRI scans for patients with no known health issues. This comes as some private companies in Melbourne, Sydney, and the Gold Coast are offering these scans. Calling it a "misuse of the modality", Naomi explains why whole-body MRI for asymptomatic patients aren't diagnostically effective.

“Without a targeted referral from a medical practitioner outlining the patient's suspected condition, the scan may not employ the appropriate imaging parameters, slice thickness, or planes needed to accurately detect specific diseases,” she says.

“False positives and indeterminate findings are a frequent result of whole-body MRI. This can lead to further costly and potentially unnecessary investigations into conditions that are ultimately benign."

Naomi encouraged people to access Australia's national cancer screening programs, which unlike whole-body MRI, are free and backed by evidence.

Naomi Gibson has been President of ASMIRT since March 2025.