What does MRI screening mean for a risk group?
This means that MRI is used routinely in people where the risk of a particular disease is high enough to justify regular check-ups.
The checks may be organ-specific or, in certain specific tumor risk syndromes, cover larger parts of the body. This is determined by national care programs and specialist assessment.
General private whole-body MRI is a different type of examination and should not replace an established high-risk program.
Which people may belong to a risk group?
A known disease-associated gene variant may significantly increase the risk of certain cancers. Previous cancer or medical treatment may also require special follow-up.
Family history may indicate an increased risk even before a genetic cause is confirmed. In this case, genetic guidance and specialist assessment may be needed.
Risk is not defined solely by concerns or individual symptoms. Screening programs require a clear medical basis.
What happens if you develop symptoms between check-ups?
New symptoms should be assessed as they arise and not wait until the next screening appointment. Screening programs are not a substitute for symptom assessment.
Call 112 for life-threatening symptoms such as severe chest pain, severe shortness of breath or signs of stroke.
Contact the responsible clinic if you have new symptoms that may be related to the hereditary risk being monitored.
New warning symptoms should be assessed even if your last screening was normal.
How is the control program determined?
Specialist care assesses the genetic or clinical risk. If genetic testing is relevant, testing is often preceded by genetic counseling.
Once the risk picture is complete, the organs that need to be checked, the appropriate method and how often the examination should be carried out are selected.
Programs can change when new knowledge is acquired or when the person enters a different age or risk situation.
Why is MRI used in some high-risk programs?
MRI provides high soft tissue contrast and does not use ionizing radiation, which is an advantage when examinations need to be repeated over a long period of time.
For some organs, other methods are better. Mammography, ultrasound, endoscopy, laboratory tests and CT can therefore be included in parallel.
It is the combination of the right method and the right risk group that creates value, not that MRI itself is a general screening test.
What should you do if you think you belong to a risk group?
Collect information about which relatives have had cancer, what type of cancer it was and approximately at what age the diagnosis was made.
Contact a health center or clinical genetics clinic to discuss whether genetic counseling or other risk assessment is relevant.
If a specialist program is recommended, follow it even if you choose to do private screening on the side.