Actor Will Smith had a colonoscopy. In the link below, he raises awareness about the importance of cancer screenings.
In September 2018, actor Will Smith turned 50. After a year of celebrating, he said it was “time to get serious about his health and head in for a colonoscopy.”
Several days after the procedure, Smith had a video call with his physician, where she revealed they discovered a polyp in his cecum, the largest part of the colon. The polyp was removed and sent to the lab for testing. It turned out to be a tubular adenoma – a type of precancerous lesion.
Colonoscopies not only detect these lesions, but removes them and eliminates the chance for the polyp to progress into cancer.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend screenings start at age 50, Sanchez says multiple medical societies now recommend that patients with no symptoms who are at average risk begin at age 45.
“Colonoscopies remain the gold standard for cancer prevention, but other modalities such as stool testing (FIT) have also been recommended.”
Patients with other GI conditions such as previous cancer, Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis, as well as those with a family history should get screened earlier and more often.
In the video, Smith’s doctor tells him he should plan on getting more frequent colonoscopies.
Click the link below to read Moffit Cancer Center’s report, and to see his personal video on his colonoscopy experience.
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