Editor’s note: This blog post was medically reviewed by Carol DerSarkissian, MD
Finding the perfect gift for a loved one can be a major challenge during the holidays. With so many frivolous options, it can be difficult to come up with something unique, thoughtful, and, ideally, useful.
For several years now, members have chosen to give Ezra scans to loved ones, especially those who are proactive about their health.
This year, we decided to include insights from our physician partners and Ezra members about what exactly makes Ezra screenings a thoughtful and worthwhile gift.
An Ezra scan is a 60-minute, full-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screening designed to detect signs of early cancer and other diseases in up to 13 organs. In 2021, 13% of people screened by Ezra found signs of potential cancer.
A whole-body MRI screening is a versatile and powerful medical imaging technique that helps medical professionals see what is happening inside your body in a non-invasive way. Routine screenings with whole-body MRI scans may help with the early detection of health issues, like malignancies, giving you a better opportunity to start treatment early.
MRIs are meant for use under a medical practitioner’s supervision, which means that in order for a patient to be screened using an MRI, they need to have a medical order.
Concerned your gift recipient won’t have a referral? Learn more about MRI without referral options.
Ezra provides low-risk, high-accuracy option to screen for cancer and other diseases. For best treatment options, it’s preferable to get early screenings before symptoms appear. Ezra wholeheartedly believes that early detection is key to optimal health.
“We know that detecting cancer early before it’s had a chance to spread throughout the body, can be lifesaving,” Jake Deutsch, MD at Oakwood Precision Medicine, said. “A proactive approach to early cancer detection, including imaging services such as Ezra, have the potential to increase survival rates and the effectiveness of treatment.”
Curious about which organs can be screened during an Ezra scan? An Ezra scan may include imaging of the following organs:
Along with organ screenings mentioned above, Ezra offers two additional screening options:
An Ezra screening may detect early signs of cancer in the brain, spine, thyroid, lung, and liver, among others.
Learn more: Cancer warnings that may appear on an Ezra screening
The sensitivity of Ezra’s full-body screenings makes it possible to catch potential cancer smaller than 2mm. Whole-body MRI scans may be more reliable for certain organs and have better diagnostic performance than CT scans or ultrasounds alone.
An MRI may accurately detect lesions that are less than 1 cm. These lesions may point to soft tissue abnormalities like bleeding, swelling, infections, and inflammatory conditions.
For example, in the cardiovascular system, these screenings may offer insight into problems with the blood vessels, like structural defects and aneurysms, hypertrophy, heart damage, and diffusion.
It’s also worth noting that all Ezra partner facilities offer 3T MRIs. A 3T MRI makes better images when scanning organs and soft tissue than other MRI types, with magnets 2x the power of a traditional MR and 15X higher than those from an open MRI. As an added benefit, a 3T MRI takes less time to complete compared to an open MRI.
The Ezra team partners with expert radiology clinics and radiologists to ensure your loved ones’ scans are reviewed by established, credible specialists.
Prior to launch, Ezra had run over 400 test scans that have been reviewed by 5 radiologists and a data science team for standard of care. In addition, the images from each screening are reviewed by at least two radiologists, one to review the head and one the body, to ensure quality.
Unlike many body scan protocols on the market, the Ezra Full Body only takes one hour, so your gift recipient will be in and out before they know it.
Ezra aims to make patients as comfortable as possible during their screening experience. Each patient receives a clean set of luxury pajamas and is encouraged to stream their favorite Spotify playlist during the scan.
Learn more: What your loved one can expect during an Ezra screening
Ezra’s mission is to make early cancer detection available for everyone while providing people with the necessary knowledge to make decisions about their health in a fast, affordable, and effective manner. And that doesn’t stop at the screening itself.
An Ezra screening includes a comprehensive assessment and a follow-up consultation with a knowledgeable healthcare provider who offers each patient actionable advice.
Through Ezra’s artificial intelligence-driven reporting solution, Reporter AI, Ezra members receive a patient-friendly, easily understood medical report. Ezra makes it easy for the patient to share their medical report directly with their primary care provider.
Throughout the whole process, you can rest assured that the recipient of your gift card will have a dedicated care team, including an Ezra Personal Care Advisor, guiding them through their screening experience.
Some cancers develop and grow rapidly, while others develop slowly and are often not detected until the later stages when treatment is harder.
Screening the body year to year, therefore, provides patients with an opportunity to monitor and observe their body across time, catching any irregularities early. This often increases the chances of more effective treatment and, ultimately, survival rates.
Ezra’s full-body screenings were designed to be an effective imaging modality for up to 12 organs (13 organs when including the lung screening). As these screenings do not use harmful radiation, they can be repeated annually.
Repeat screenings allow the patient to observe data about their body across time, providing an early warning system for any abnormalities.
When your gift card recipient signs up on MyEzra.com, they’ll be provided with a portal where they can easily access information from current and prior scans, easily share reports with the healthcare provider and follow-up on any potential concerns.
Your gift recipient can create an account on my.ezra.com in minutes and choose a time and location that works best for them.
Most MRIs are priced based on scanning a single organ and may vary based on market costs and numerous other factors.
The average cost of an MRI can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars for a single organ scan.
By leveraging cutting-edge technology and existing clinical expertise, Ezra was able to decrease the time it takes to screen all major organs by 66%, decreasing the cost of such screening by 88%.
As a result, Ezra offers an affordably priced full-body MRI screening that scans up to 13 organs at once.
Pricing includes your screening, pajamas, radiologist interpretation, a telehealth call, and an Ezra Personal Care Advisor for any follow-up questions or concerns.
Ezra scans are painless and non-invasive.
A major advantage of an Ezra MRI screening is that unlike Computed Tomography (CT) scans, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, and X-rays, MRI does not use harmful ionizing radiation. This means that your recipient won’t need to worry about any radiation exposure and will be able to repeat the screening annually.
“We’re all regularly exposed to background radiation,” Carol DerSarkissian, MD and medical director at Ezra, said. “However, constant exposure compounded by other factors can cause mutations leading to development of cancer. MR imaging has been proven to be an effective imaging modality in detecting various abnormalities, and because it does not use radiation, is ultimately safer for patients who get screened regularly.”
Worried that your gift recipient won’t schedule their scan in a timely manner? Rest assured that this isn’t a concern, as Ezra’s gift cards never expire.
See other frequently asked questions about Ezra gift cards here.
Your gift options include the Full-Body and Full Body Plus screenings, Lung screening, a $250 or $500 gift card. You can make your decision based on what you think would benefit your loved one most.
This holiday season, give your loved ones peace of mind that comes with knowing everything is okay.
