Skip to main content

Actor Pauly Shore recently made headlines for undergoing a full-body MRI scan. The move highlighted a growing trend among celebrities of prioritizing comprehensive health screenings. Stars like Kim Kardashian have reportedly taken similar steps, using advanced imaging to detect potential health issues before symptoms appear. For many of these high-profile figures, full-body MRIs offer peace of mind, allowing them to monitor their bodies proactively. Dr. Sean Raj, SimonMed’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer, spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about the simonONE whole-body scan. Here’s why he suggests it’s for everyone — not just celebrities.

Comedian and actor Pauly Shore shone a spotlight on SimonMed’s simonONE whole-body scans

Pauly Shore’s Instagram post about tumor detection via a whole-body scan has everyone talking. Whole-body MRI scans allow doctors to examine nearly every part of the body in a single session via advanced imaging tests. This provides doctors with a comprehensive view of organs, bones, and soft tissues without using radiation. Unlike traditional MRIs, which focus on a specific area, whole-body scans can detect abnormalities early. These can include tumors, vascular issues, and musculoskeletal problems, often before symptoms appear.

“About three months ago, I went in for a preventative scan in Las Vegas at SimonMed, where they scan your body from head to toe,” Shore posted. “They check for tumors, cancer, aneurysms, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, you name it. Being in my 50s, I thought it was the right thing to do.” According to Shore, the scan found a tumor in his pancreas.

Dr. Sean Raj, SimonMed’s Chief Medical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer, spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about SimonMed. Raj explained how SimonMed has the “largest nationwide footprint of whole-body scanning machines.”

“At SimonMed, we have really always been about the patient, and patient-first, patient-centric healthcare, delivering the best, highest-quality care to our communities at the most affordable costs,” he stated. “We’ve really benefited from this recent interest of patients really wanting to know about their life and their health.”

SimonMed’s whole-body scan, named simonONE, offers the “highest-quality” screening in the industry. The whole-body MRI scan covers the body from head to pelvis and includes over 100 body structures. All scans are done on a 3 Tesla magnet. “We want the highest-quality possible, and when you have a high Tesla magnet like that, we are able to see much, much smaller detail,” Raj explained.

In addition, SimonMed offers follow-up care at its facilities, differentiating them from competitors. “We have the full spectrum of imaging to do deeper diagnostics,” he said. The company also incorporates AI to enhance performance and offer an “additional layer of protection.”

Dr. Raj thinks everyone should ‘strongly consider’ getting a whole-body scan

Related

‘RHOBH’s Teddi Mellencamp Says Tumors Have ‘Significantly Shrunk,’ Doctors Believe She Will Be ‘Cancer-Free’

Dr. Raj explained how the scope of the simonONE whole-body MRI scan can benefit anyone. Scanning the torso, which includes the heart, liver, stomach, GI tract, reproductive organs, kidneys, and pancreas, can have monumental benefits.

“A lot of disease occurs in these organs specifically, like cancers that like to grow, and often times, very slowly,” Raj noted. “… Can we see signal of any sort of disease before it creates symptoms — almost like a check engine light?”

The simonONE scan can also offer details on body composition and give patients a “great snapshot” of their bodies. But one of the greatest benefits might be mental.

“This provides a tremendous sense of peace of mind,” he continued. “I think this part is not talked about enough — that peace of mind knowing that, hey, I can actually take control of my life rather than life take control of me in some aspects.”

Dr. Raj says the number of scans has ‘really spiked’ following celebrity endorsement

Dr. Raj says he’s seen the number of people wanting full-body MRI scans “really spike” following celebrities speaking about them on social media.

“It’s been really interesting to see the influence of social media on healthcare,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. ‘The best example is with these whole-body scans. We’ve had whole-body scans for a number of years, but only after celebrities have come out and talked about going to our centers or other facilities for whole-body scans that we’ve seen the numbers really spike.”

He noted that demand is at an “all-time high right now” for the scans. “It’s a smart thing to do,” he continued. “And we’re seeing patients come in, healthy individuals come in, and finding disease years earlier before they would manifest as symptoms. I can’t underscore the importance of this movement on social media to get the word out. It’s been really, really healthy for our patients.”

The SimonMed expert hopes ‘broader adoption’ can happen in the future

Dr. Raj is hopeful that with more data, “broader adoption” will happen with these full-body MRI scans.

“Hopefully, it will be treated more like an annual physical or a mammogram, where it’s like a routine,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

“We are hoping full-body MRI moves from what’s considered by some as a luxury to a standard — like a new paradigm or cornerstone of proactive health,” he continued. “And I think that’s it; that’s the future. And at SimonMed, we want the future to be available today.”

For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.

Best in News