Ryan Reynolds’ doctor says video colonoscopy may have saved his life

Deadpool and Wolverine actor Ryan Reynolds recently went to X share a video that he would undergo a colonoscopy. It’s a procedure he performed and documented in 2022 in collaboration with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance Lead from behind initiative as a way to raise awareness about the importance of regular colorectal cancer screenings the third most common cancer in the United States.

The American Cancer Society recommends be screened for colorectal cancer once you turn 45 – the age Reynolds was when he had the procedure done. In the full video Following Reynolds’ colonoscopy screening, gastroenterologist Dr. Jonathan LaPook told Reynolds that while performing the procedure, he discovered and removed a small piece of tissue on the right side of his colon that could have become cancerous if it had not been caught. asked. Finding and removing the tissue, he explains to the actor, “was potentially life-saving for you.”

Reynolds is not alone. Colorectal cancer has a survival rate of more than 90% when detected early, but 80% of 45- to 49-year-olds are not screened. “We haven’t optimized early detection as much as needed to prevent colorectal cancer,” says Dr. John Marshall, chief medical officer of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and clinical director of oncology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.

The reason why screenings are so important, he explains, is that it can take 10 to 15 years for abnormal cell tissue to develop into colorectal cancer once formation has begun in the colon or rectum. These clumps of cells, called polyps, can be discovered by a number of tests recommended by a doctor based on a person’s age and other risk factors, including a family history of colorectal cancer and lifestyle choices such as smoking, diet and physical activity levels. .

Preventive screenings can be performed through a virtual colonoscopy – in which a CT scanner takes an X-ray of the colon and rectum from outside the body – or through stool testing, in which a patient collects and sends a stool sample at home. to a doctor’s office for examination.

Reynolds opted for a colonoscopy, “which remains the gold standard for diagnosis and detection,” Marshall says.

It is a procedure that typically takes only 30 to 60 minutes and is performed by passing a flexible tube through the patient’s anus into the colon. Air is then pumped in, making it easier for you to see inside. A camera at the end of the tube scans for polyps and abnormalities, and the tube can also be used to perform a biopsy or remove any abnormal cell formations discovered. The patient sleeps during the procedure and takes a laxative before entering the hospital to ensure the bowels are empty.

Although colorectal cancer survival rates remain very high in patients who have abnormal tissue detected through early screenings, Marshall says such rates “decrease dramatically in stage III and stage IV.” Research shows the five-year survival rate for patients with stage IV colorectal cancer is less than 10%.

“Each year, 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed in the United States,” says Marshall, “and more than 2 million new cases are diagnosed annually worldwide.”