Screening centers squelch balanced information

Article

Whole-body screening centers fail to provide balanced advertisements, often touting unsupported benefits while downplaying the known risks. Stanford University researchers say the industry needs better oversight to protect consumers.

Whole-body screening centers fail to provide balanced advertisements, often touting unsupported benefits while downplaying the known risks. Stanford University researchers say the industry needs better oversight to protect consumers.

Judy Illes, Ph.D., and colleagues analyzed scores of newspaper ads and brochures from screening centers across the country. They found an overall emphasis on information about healthcare technology, assurances of good health, and financial incentives to self-refer (Arch Intern Med 2004;164:2415-2419).

Some ads stoked fear of the consequences of not obtaining a scan, but references to the risk of radiation associated with CT were missing. Ads from these same companies for their MRI services made explicit reference to that modality's lack of radiation.

Recent Videos
Improving Access to Nuclear Imaging: An Interview with SNMMI President Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.