Ryan Reynolds, 48, Gets A Colonoscopy & Delivers a Stark Message: “Two Friends Who Aren’t Here Anymore. But Should Be’

RELATED: What You Need to Know About Colonoscopies 

His efforts come as cases of colorectal cancer cases across the U.S. have been rising among younger people, and the United States Preventive Services Task Force recently updated its colorectal cancer screening recommendations to begin at age 45 instead of 50.

Reynolds shared the following message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, “Friendly reminder: colonoscopy’s are thankfully not filmed with IMAX cameras. It all happens during a refreshing nap and they even give you a lil’ juice box afterward.

“Despite it being among the easiest cancers to prevent, I have two friends who aren’t here anymore. But should be.”

Friendly reminder: colonoscopy’s are thankfully not filmed with IMAX cameras. It all happens during a refreshing nap and they even give you a lil’ juice box afterward. Despite it being among the easiest cancers to prevent, I have two friends who aren’t here anymore. But should… https://t.co/aRfjw5gglJ

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 7, 2024

He continued, “Indigenous and Black communities have the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the US. And men are 1.5 times more likely to experience this than women. @CCAlliance [Colorectal Cancer Alliance].”

Alongside Reynolds’ words of wisdom was a video clip from this 2022 colonoscopy, when he got together with Rob McElhenney, creator and star of the show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” when they both were ages 45, to spread awareness for the disease in their campaign “Lead From Behind.”

In response to Reynolds’ post, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance commented, “Best nap ever! Thank you for sharing the importance of getting screened, Ryan.

“If you’re reading this and you’re 45 or older, get screened for colon cancer. We’re here to help if you have any questions. Give us a call on our free helpline at (877)-422-2030 (Mon-Fri 9-5 ET).”

Reynolds, who also starred in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” and McElhenney, who recently sold their minority stake in Wrexham A.F.C soccer club and purchased a local brewery, Wrexham Lager, we both incredibly grateful their on-camera colonoscopy experience two years ago.

As for Reynolds’ colonoscopy results, they ultimately revealing a “subtle” polyp on the right side of his colon, which was successfully removed by his doctor.

Following 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 the beloved actor.

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.”

RELATED: Stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Get Colonoscopies on Cam For New Colorectal Cancer Campaign: Both Had ‘Potentially Life-Saving’ Removal of Polyps

Reynolds’ doctor continued, amid showing what was 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.”

RELATED: Actor & Colon Cancer Advocate Ryan Reynold’s Terrible Anxiety Problem and How He Deals With Stresses— Coping With Emotions & The Importance of Mental Health

Dr. Lapook added, “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.”

We’re glad to see Reynolds, who lost his dad in 2015 after his 20-year battle with Parkinson’s, working as an advocate to help others prevent cancer and following screening guidelines.

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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.

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.

MORE: All Americans Should Begin Colorectal Cancer Screening at Age 45, According to New Guidelines; Previous Age Was 50

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.

Which Treatments are Best for You?

It’s important to understand that your doctor has many ways to treat colon cancer, depending on what stage the cancer is, including:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment for most early-stage colon cancers, according to the doctors SurvivorNet spoke with. The surgeon will remove the part of the colon or rectum where there is cancer, along with a small area of healthy tissue around it. Taking out as much of the cancer as possible is important for improving your outcome.

The surgery may be performed through small incisions (laparoscopy), or through a larger incision. Some people may need to wear a special bag (ostomy) to collect wastes after surgery.

Radiation Therapy

This treatment aims high-energy x-rays at the cancer to destroy the abnormal cells. The radiation can come from a machine outside your body, or be placed directly inside your body. Sometimes people get radiation before surgery, to shrink the tumor and make it easier for the surgeon to remove. This is called neoadjuvant radiation.

Chemotherapy

This treatment uses strong medicine to stop cancer cells from dividing, no matter where they are in your body. You may get a combination of chemotherapy drugs as your first treatment. Chemotherapy has been very well studied for colorectal cancer, and it is known to improve survival.

The most common therapy is a combination of chemo drugs called FOLFOX:

• FOL = leucovorin calcium (folinic acid)
• F = fluorouracil
• OX = oxaliplatin

Your doctor may add medications like irinotecan (FOLFIRI) or cetuximab, depending on how well your tumor shrinks with treatment and other specifics about your particular cancer. For FOLFOX, the medications are given through the vein and require regular doctor visits.

To determine exactly which chemotherapy regimen you get, your doctor will consider your age and how well you might tolerate the side effects of chemotherapy. Gene mutations (for example, BRAF and KRAS) and the location of the primary colon tumor also factor into the decision.

You can also get chemotherapy before colon cancer surgery, which is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Getting chemo first helps to shrink the tumor, which can make both the surgery and recovery easier, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. Chemo is also a treatment for cancer that returns after therapy.

Targeted Therapy

This treatment targets substances like proteins or genes that the cancer needs to grow. This makes targeted therapy more precise than chemotherapy, and less likely to damage healthy cells. One example of targeted therapy is bevacizumab (Avastin), which stops the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. Another group of targeted therapies are called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, which block the cancer from growing.

Immunotherapy

This treatment makes your own immune system a more efficient cancer fighter. A group of drugs called checkpoint inhibitors, which includes pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo), work by preventing cancer cells from hiding from your immune system. Checkpoint inhibitors may extend the amount of time before the cancer spreads.

Dr. Paul Oberstein, on which treatments doctors use to turn stage 4 colon cancer into a chronic but manageable disease

Debating Over Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

A few years back, researc suggested that some colorectal cancer patients may be able to choose several years of close follow-up rather than surgery after successfully undergoing radiochemotherapy, while some doctors question whether close observation is really enough.

RELATED: “Born To Be Bad” New Evidence That Some Colorectal Cancers Can Spread At Early Stages Of The Disease 

Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and SurvivorNet medical advisor, warns, “A small percent [of colorectal cancer patients] present with incurable disease – these patients may have been cured after surgery or surgery and chemotherapy and are now incurable.”

Findings, published in The Lancet Oncology in 2021, suggest that up to 70% of rectal cancer patients might be able to avoid colostomies and other major surgeries by undergoing a multi-year period of intense observation.

RELATED: The Debate and Evidence About Watch and Wait

The period of observation, known as the “watch and wait” protocol, would regularly check these patients, who have already successfully undergone radiochemotherapy, for any potential sign of cancerous regrowth.

Additionally, the research claims that this monitoring period might be as short as one to three years, saying that, after a single year with no regrowth, the risk of rectal cancer recurring or spreading drops dramatically.

“Our results suggest that achieving a complete clinical recovery and sustaining it for one year is the most relevant protective factor in patients with rectal cancer, placing them in an excellent prognostic stage,” concluded Dr. Laura Fernandez, the study’s lead author.

Deciding When to Operate on Colon Cancer

Ultimately, the “watch and wait” protocol is a treatment option that those fighting colorectal cancer should discuss with their medical team. Colorectal oncologists like Dr. Yeo can help patients weigh the benefits and risks of this approach and craft the best treatment plan for them.

“This is an important conversation to have with patients. We shouldn’t give false hope, as 30% of patients do not respond to these treatments and may not have salvage as an option,” Dr. Yeo tells SurvivorNet.

“Those that do are taking a risk of losing an opportunity for cure (a low risk, but one that still should be discussed).”

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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