September 14, 2022 – Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McClinney have different roles: He starred in a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of showing films. Colon Cancer.
Using some humor to highlight a very serious topic, the two Hollywood stars filmed their own colonoscopy. Importantly, both Reynolds and McElhenney are 45 years old, the new age in which many leading medical organizations are now recommending men at average risk to have their first colonoscopy.
While shooting a movie bullets drive from behindReynolds discovered that doctors identified and removed a precancerous tumor or lesion that could develop into something more serious over time. McElhenny’s doctor discovered three polyps and also removed them. The findings underscore the importance of screening men at moderate risk colorectal cancerincluding younger men.
Gastroenterologists praise Reynolds and McKellenny for their celebrity use of showing how easy colonoscopy can be and save lives.
David A. Johnson, MD, a . says Gastroenterologist at a private practice in Norfolk, Virginia, who has worked on national colon cancer guidelines for the past 20 years.
The important take-home message, Johnson says, is that colonoscopy “really is the best screening test because they both have polyps.” The premise of screening is to detect any potential problems before they cause cancer, he says.
Rajesh N. Kiswani, a doctor, agrees on the importance of the campaign. “Overall, the message was incredibly effective. Everyone involved from celebrities to doctors did a fantastic job ensuring that all the important points were touched upon.”
“Other than saying colonoscopies are easy, they prove it by showing patients laughing and eating after the procedure,” says Keswani, MD, gastroenterologist and medical director of quality and integration at Northwestern Medicine’s Center for Digestive Health in Chicago.
Reynolds, the “Deadpool” movie star, and McElhenney, who created and starred in the TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, let their comedy clips shine, says Jessica Bernica, MD, assistant professor of medicine – gastroenterology at the College of Medicine. Baylor Medicine in Houston.
“I think this video is great. Not only does it share a very meaningful message about the importance of colon cancer screening, but what’s not so entertaining watching Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney wake up from sedation?” she says.
Bernica praised the campaign for highlighting the younger recommended age for colonoscopy, the procedure’s ability to detect and remove precancerous polyps, and that it is “a simple and routine procedure that should not be feared.”
“I would also like to highlight that both Ryan and Rob had a fantastic bowel preparation, which is a critical component of an effective colonoscopy examination.”
‘strange effect’
Reynolds and McElhenney may have put their own twist on it, but they aren’t the first celebrities to use their platform to raise awareness for colon cancer.
“This really goes back to the time Katie Couric did it after she lost her husband, Jay Monahan,” Johnson says. The effect was too great for a colonoscopy exam, as it’s called Couric effect.
Kiswani said there is a great deal of data showing that similar campaigns can improve colon cancer screening rates, most notably when Couric aired its colonoscopy to effectively promote colon cancer screening.
Will Smith also shared an “incredibly detailed documentary on his journey through colonoscopy” after he turned 50, Johnson says. in I recorded my colonoscopy videoSmith found out from his doctor that they found tumor In the cecum, a sac that connects the small intestine to the colon. The video has been viewed on YouTube more than 4 million times.
“Then there was Chadwick Boseman. He had colon cancer very early, at age 43, and the world was grappling with the unexpected loss,” Johnson says. Black Panther The star who died of illness.
The impact of COVID
Johnson says the timing of the Lead From Behind campaign is also essential, because the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to delay health screenings, including colonoscopy. As a result, he says, “we’re seeing an increase in colon cancer.”
“This is a good wake-up call that we have to be proactive,” he says.
Johnson noted that at-home colon cancer tests reveal that a person already has cancer. In contrast, colonoscopy is all about early screening to prevent cancer, although biopsies taken during colonoscopy can be used for detection as well.
stir up conversation
The attention that celebrities can bring to colon cancer can help start conversations. “This kind of campaign is a great way to raise awareness and normalize an aspect of preventive health care that a lot of people may be reluctant to talk about publicly,” Bernica says.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States and is preventable, but according to recently reported National Institutes of Health statistics in 2019, only about 67% of adults between the ages of 50 and 75 years have Get tested, says Bernica. “We hope that this type of message will be the motivation to push those who have not yet been screened to do so.”
For Johnson, celebrities like Reynolds and McElhenney who go out of their normal daily lives to highlight an essential message of public health become more of a celebrity. “This really changes a star into a star,” he says.
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