We Can Detect Cancer Years Earlier—So Why Aren’t We?

The Dr. Hyman Show

Dr. Mark Hyman

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Nutrition

4.5 • 9.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2026

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Most of medicine is built around snapshots. You feel something, you test for it, and by the time you find it, you’re already behind. But what if the problem isn’t the test—it’s how we use it? In this episode, I sit down with physicist and imaging pioneer Dr. Daniel Sodickson, Chief Medical Scientist at Function Health and author of The Future of Seeing. We break down why tools like MRI are shifting from one-time scans to something far more powerful: tracking your health over time. Watch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, we cover: • Why waiting for symptoms puts you behind—and how to get ahead • What an MRI can reveal about your body that bloodwork can’t • How tracking your health over time helps you catch problems sooner • Why having a baseline could change the way you make health decisions • What it means to shift from reacting to disease to actually predicting it When you stop looking at a single result and start looking at patterns, you can catch changes earlier, reduce false alarms, and better predict where your health is headed. View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Health https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox Join the Hyman Hive for Expert Support and Real Results https://drhyman.com/pages/hyman-hive This episode is brought to you by BON CHARGE, Maui Nui, Sunlighten, Paleovalley, Fatty15 and BIOptimizers. Head to boncharge.com/hyman and use code HYMAN for 15% off. Go to mauinuivenison.com/hyman to claim your free 6-pack of their Wild Axis Venison Jerky Sticks. Visit sunlighten.com and use code HYMAN to save up to $1600 today! Head to paleovalley.com/hyman to save 15% off your first order today. Head to fatty15.com/HYMAN today and use code HYMAN for 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use promo code HYMAN at checkout to save 15%. (0:00) Introduction and overview of modern medical imaging (3:26) Discussion with Dr. Daniel K. Sodickson begins (3:45) Full body MRIs: Benefits, risks, and the inspiration behind "The Future of Seeing" (7:52) Extending senses and paradigm shifts in imaging technology (14:55) Longitudinal imaging and its benefits (19:17) Future of personalized health data and imaging technology (23:54) Addressing information overload and reducing false positives through AI (28:33) Cost, accessibility, and innovations in imaging techniques (32:00) Vision for ubiquitous and continuous health scanning (33:30) Imaging vs. blood work: Comprehensive health assessment (35:29) Real-life examples and early detection through imaging (39:27) Historical context and real-time health data collection (41:46) Who should get baseline MRIs and scan frequency (47:26) The everywhere scanner: Future implications and cancer detection (52:35) Medical intelligence and transforming health monitoring (57:47) Preventive measures, early detection, and course correction (1:00:30) Medical intelligence labs and the future of healthcare (1:03:32) Future of personal data-driven healthcare and closing remarks

Transcript

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0:00.0	How should we really think about imaging today? These miraculous devices we've built are important to understand because they're going to change our lives. Maybe we don't need to wait for a doctor to have already found a problem. I kind of want to talk about this whole idea of false positives, which is something that people will push back on. I think everybody should have a baseline. You talked about this moment we're in, which is comparable to the invention of the telescope, not just an incremental change, but more of a quantum change. Wait a second, if we can see this stuff, maybe we don't need to wait for a doctor to have already found a problem. And I think that's this cusp that we're on where medical imaging is really changing. My guest today began his career at Harvard and MIT, spent years as
0:37.9	chief of innovation in radiology at NYU, and has developed imaging technologies used to guide
0:42.5	the care of billions of people worldwide. He's now chief medical scientist at function health.
0:47.2	This is Dr. Daniel K. Sauticsson. A few weeks ago, I had a fall while riding my bike and I ended up with some pretty good road rash on my face.
0:57.5	It reminded me how powerful some of our body's natural healing tools can be when we support them with the right things.
1:03.3	Now, one of the things I discovered during my recovery was red light therapy,
1:06.6	which has been studied for its ability to support cellular energy and healthy cellular responses.
1:12.6	Now, that's why I've been using the red light face mask from Buncharge,
1:16.2	a wellness brand that makes science-back tools designed to help you optimize everything from sleep
1:20.6	and recovery to energy, circadian rhythm, and skin appearance.
1:23.8	Their red light face mask combines both red and near-infrared light,
1:28.6	which penetrates deeper into the skin to support skin elasticity, texture, tone, and improve overall skin appearance. It's incredibly
1:35.1	easy to use. I just wear it for about 10 minutes while winding down in the evening. It's lightweight,
1:39.4	comfortable, and completely non-invasive. Bunch charge ships worldwide, offers free shipping on the red light face mask,
1:46.0	offers a 12-month warranty, and it's even HSA and FSA eligible. Upgrade your routine.
1:51.7	Head to buncharge.com slash hymen and use the code hymen for 15% off. That's B-O-N-C-H-A-R-G-E.com
1:59.6	slash hymen and use the code hymen.
2:02.2	There's a principle in functional medicine I talk about a lot.
2:05.2	What your food eats matters.
2:07.6	The nutrients and animal foods are shaped by the environment,
2:10.4	those animals live in, and the plants they eat.
2:12.8	When animals forage in the wild,
	...

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