Advocates promote a full body scan as a smart part of a routine physical exam. Full body scanning is a non-invasive, painless procedure that uses low-dose X-rays to screen the body for various diseases of the major organs; taking an average of around ten to thirty minutes to perform.  Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic, imaging procedure using these X-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of the body. These scans produce images representing “slices” of the body. Each image slice corresponds to a wafer-thin section which can be viewed to reveal body structures in great detail. CT scans are a valuable diagnostic tool, able to detect some conditions that conventional X-rays cannot. The Center for Diagnostic Imaging in North Miami Beach is a premier diagnostic facility, providing patients with the best digital imaging and patient care, as well as preventive care through full body scans.

Preventative scans have become recognized as a valuable medical tool for the early diagnosis of disease, trauma, or abnormality and for planning, guiding, and monitoring therapy. Its use is virtually unlimited; it covers: the heart and arteries, identifying near microscopic amounts of plaque; the lungs at the air cell level showing the earliest stages of smoke damage, emphysema or lung cancer; the spine, evaluating for osteoporosis, disc disease and other back problems; internal organs for detection of tumors, stones and cysts of all sizes; aneurysms in the abdominal and chest cavities; thyroid and parathyroid disease; joint disease; uterine, ovarian, and prostate disease.

Full body scanning can detect heart, lung, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and prostate and ovarian disease, as well as tumors, aneurysms, osteoporosis, hernias, and kidney and gall stones. This study can provide both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of all types of tissue, allowing for more accurate detection of various cancers and diseases before symptoms occur.

Full body screening is a useful preventative tool. Heart and lung diseases are responsible for over half of all deaths in the United States alone each year. Most of these cancers progress slowly over time causing no immediate symptoms for the patient. As a result, patients aren’t diagnosed until after the cancer has already developed. The National Cancer Institute estimates that up to 35% of cancer deaths could be avoided through preventative screening.

Full body scanning is recommended for anyone over the age of 45, as well as for patients who smoke, have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.  Full body scanning should be used as a complimentary to regular checkups with a patient’s physician.

The professional staff at the Center for Diagnostic Imaging believes that disease prevention is the first step toward a healthy lifestyle. Each component of the total body scan has been carefully selected to screen for all common diseases and more. The medical imaging experts focus on providing patients with the latest advances in medical technology while continuing in their commitment to provide outstanding patient care.