The Importance of Colonoscopies
- Comedic actor Ryan Reynolds, raising awareness for colon cancer, otherwise known as colorectal cancer, by sharing footage of the colonoscopy he underwent two years ago. He recently reshared the video to remind his fans that “colonoscopies save lives.”
- Colorectal cancer happens when polyps are not removed and become cancerous. It can take up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become cancerous, according to SurvivorNet experts.
- Undergoing a colonoscopy allows doctors to remove these polyps before they pose a serious cancer risk.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.
- Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, previously told SurvivorNet, “Colon cancer is considered a silent and deadly killer. What happens is people often don’t know that they have colon cancer. They don’t have any symptoms. That’s why we screen for colon cancer in the United States.”
In an effort to inform others about the importance of screening for the disease, which is has seen an increased cancer incidence rate among younger people in recent years, The 47-year-old father of four and loving husband to actress Blake Lively, 37, recently reshared a video of him getting a colonoscopy a few years back to remind his fans that “colonoscopies save lives.”
Read MoreFriendly/loving reminder: colonoscopies save lives. And you can make it fun: As they start to put you under, try pointing at the ceiling, then whisper, “Such warm light. Grand-papa? Is that you?” Then pass out. It’s a fun way to really scare the shit out of the anesthesiologist. https://t.co/aRfjw5gObh
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) September 26, 2024
Reynolds, who also acted in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” teamed up with Rob McElhenney, creator and star of the show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” two years ago, when they both were ages 45, to spread colonoscopy cancer awareness through their new campaign dubbed “Lead From Behind.”
The colon cancer advocates, who are also Wrexham A.F.C soccer club co-owners, both had colonoscopies and were ever-so grateful to have had them.
Reynolds’ test ultimate came back revealing a “subtle” polyp on the right side of his colon, which his doctor successfully removed.
After the procedure, his doctor, NYC Langone gastroentologist Dr. Jon Lapook, who is also chief medical correspondent for CBS News, insisted the colonoscopy was “potentially lifesaving” for Reynolds.
Dr. Lapook says in informative footage, also shared on YouTube, “You did such a good prep that I was able to find an extremely subtle polyp that was on the right sign of your colon.
“This was potentially lifesaving for you. I’m not being overly dramatic. This is exactly why you do this … you had no symptoms. I’m thrilled.”
Reynolds’ doctor continued, as he’s seen showing what he removed, “This is the polyp. I just cut it off with the snare and it’s gone. You are interrupting the natural history of a disease of something of a process that could have ended up developing into cancer and causing all sorts of problems.
“Instead, you’re not only diagnosing the polyp, you’re taking it out. So nobody would know that they had this, but he reached the age of screening , 45 … he got a routine screening, and there you go. And that’s why people need to do this, they really need to do this. This saves lives pure and simple.”
Reynolds that expressed how grateful he was, telling his doctor, “Seriously thank you for pushing me to do this.”
“It’s not every day that you can raise awareness about something that will most definitely save lives,” he later added.
Understanding Colon Cancer
Colorectal cancer happens when polyps are not removed and become cancerous. It can take up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become cancerous, according to SurvivorNet experts.
“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
“Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem,” Dr. Yeo added.
Expert Resources for Colon Cancer Screening
- Colon Cancer Screening Options And Genetics: Myth Busting With Dr. Heather Yeo
- Colon Cancer Screening is Extremely Important; Guidelines Now Say to Start at Age 45 if There Is No Family History
- Everything You Need to Know About Colorectal Cancer Screenings
- Colon Cancer Diagnosis: What Happens After the Colonoscopy
- Getting Cleaned Out for a Colonoscopy
- Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy
- Replacing a Colonoscopy With At-Home Tests Sounds Good, But Doesn’t Necessarily Work
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So, there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy
The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.
However, many insurance companies still do not cover the cost of screenings for those under 50. In the past, the disease had predominantly been found in adults 50 years or older, but for those predisposed to getting it at a younger age, these new guidelines could help catch it earlier.
Colon Cancer: A Silent Killer
Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, previously told SurvivorNet, “Colon cancer is considered a silent and deadly killer.
RELATED: How Does a Colon Polyp Turn Into Cancer?
“What happens is people often don’t know that they have colon cancer. They don’t have any symptoms. That’s why we screen for colon cancer in the United States.”
The Rate of Colon Cancer is Increasing in Those Under 50
“You should be screened for colon cancer, even if you have no family history. Once you have your initial screening colonoscopy, if there are no polyps and you have no high-risk factors, usually once every 10 years is fine,” she advises.
“Colon cancer is a slowly progressing cancer. If you have any family history of colon cancer, you should be screened about 10 years before your family member had colon cancer. So if you have a family member that was 53, you should be screened at 43.”
Colon Cancer Appearing More in Younger People
Although the average age people are diagnosed with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute reports that since the 1990s, colorectal cancer cases have been rising among adults younger than 50.
Research published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians found the proportion of cases in people younger than 55 years old increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.
“We know rates are increasing in young people, but it’s alarming to see how rapidly the whole patient population is shifting younger, despite shrinking numbers in the overall population,” cancer epidemiologist and lead study author Rebecca Siegel said.
Researchers are still trying to determine why younger people are being diagnosed in greater numbers. Some experts point to risk factors, which include obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking, as a possible explanation for the increase.
“We don’t know for sure why we are seeing earlier onset and (cancer mortality) from colon cancer,” Dr. Yeo told SurvivorNet. It is likely a combination of factors, including diet and genetics as well as access to care and some environmental factors.”
Dr. Paul Oberstein Explains Common Colon Cancer Symptoms
What Increases Your Risk for Developing Colon Cancer?
For some people, certain risk factors can influence their risk of getting colon cancer. They include the following:
- Are older. About 90% of cases are in people aged 50 or older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Yet it is possible to get this cancer earlier in life.
- Have inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can, over time, cause cells in your intestines to turn cancerous.
- Have a family history of this cancer. Just under one-third of people who get colon cancer have family members with the disease.
- Have a gene mutation. About 5% of colorectal cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that causes syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
- Don’t exercise very often. Staying active can lower your risk.
- Eat a diet that’s high in meat. Regularly eating red meats like burgers and steaks, and processed meats such as hot dogs and bacon might put you at higher risk. Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead might lower your risk.
- You are overweight or obese. Having too much weight increases your risk of both getting colon cancer and dying from it.
- Drink a lot of alcohol. Limiting alcohol to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men could help lower your risk.
- Use tobacco. Long-term smokers are more likely to get this cancer than nonsmokers.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.
- What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
- If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
- What support services are available to me? To my family?
- Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
- What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.