Ryan Reynolds colonoscopy

2022 - 9 - 15

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Ryan Reynolds got a colonoscopy after losing a bet. It found a polyp. (The Washington Post)

Ryan Reynolds underwent a colonoscopy to raise awareness about colorectal cancer after losing a bet to fellow actor Rob McElhenney.

Growing awareness about the importance of preventive screenings has made [diagnosis rates](https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/Trends/) drop in recent decades, according to the American Cancer Society. [polio vaccination campaign](https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/188677115/Mawdsley_CSH2016_salk_hops_teen_health_activism_fight_against_polio.pdf) headed by Elvis Presley to pandemic-era pleas by the likes of Dolly Parton, Olivia Rodrigo and Jennifer Aniston. While the death rate for colorectal cancer has decreased over the past decade among older patients, it has risen among younger people — in part because of a lack of screenings in that age group. “That’s why people need to do this,” the physician added. Even though Reynolds lost the bet, McElhenney, who is also 45, agreed to undergo a colonoscopy as well. But the decision to have his colonoscopy recorded came down to raising awareness “about something that will most definitely save lives,” Reynolds, 45, said in the clip, which was made in partnership with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and Lead From Behind, a colon cancer awareness organization. The procedure is used to check for abnormalities in the colon, such as swelling, irritation or tumors. The doctor removed it, “interrupting the natural history … “They really need to do this. It started with a gamble, the actors said. (For those left wondering: This part wasn’t shown in Reynolds’s video.) “It’s stunningly effective.”

After losing a bet, Ryan Reynolds gets colonoscopy that reveals ... (USA TODAY)

Ryan Reynolds chronicled his colonoscopy after betting fellow actor Rob McElhenney. "This was potentially lifesaving for you," his doctor said.

and the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women. Patients are almost always sedated during the procedure that only lasts 30 minutes, and preparation for a colonoscopy can be the most daunting, with a low fiber diet leading up and no solid foods taken in the day before, according to According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S. LaPook, a gastroenterologist with NYU Langone’s Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention Program, explained to Reynolds how colonoscopies can be "stunningly effective," which proved true in the 45-year-old actor's case. [created a video montage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sXkIUZEWIo) of their colonoscopies and anesthesia-layered recoveries. It's a simple step that could literally – and I mean literally – save your life."

Ryan Reynolds Shares His “Life-Saving” Colonoscopy Experience (Vanity Fair)

Ryan Reynolds took his fans along with him while getting a medical procedure done in hopes of raising awareness about colon cancer, especially in men.

They either find nothing and that means my colon was cleaner than his, or they find a polyp and it's either bigger than his, which is awesome, or it's smaller than his, which means I had less of an opportunity to have cancer—either way, I win.” The pair then concluded the video by sharing a message written across a black screen that read, “Colon cancer is preventable. During the colonoscopy, the doctor found an “extremely subtle polyp” on the right side of his colon which was immediately removed. In the video, the two actors explain that they made a bet that if McElhenney learned to speak Welsh, Reynolds would allow the cameras to trail him for the procedure.

Ryan Reynolds Let a Camera Crew Film His 'Potentially Life-Saving ... (SELF)

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny have shared a new video of themselves getting colonoscopies to raise awareness of colorectal cancer.

He joked that if the doctors found nothing, his colon would be deemed “cleaner” than Reynolds’s. (Don’t worry, most people are put under for this.) A colorectal polyp is a small clump of cells that can develop on the lining of the colon; these can be harmless, but some can turn into cancer over time, according to the [Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-polyps/symptoms-causes/syc-20352875). The doctor explained that getting regular colonoscopies can prevent colon cancer from progressing into a later, harder-to-treat stage, should polyps be found during the procedure. “You are interrupting the natural history of a disease process that could have ended up developing into cancer and causing all sorts of problems,” he said. [colonoscopy](https://www.self.com/story/colonoscopy), a doctor (typically a gastroenterologist) inserts a thin, flexible tube inside the rectum to check the colon for polyps. This all ties back to a funny bet the pair agreed on: “Ryan bet that I would not learn how to speak Welsh,” McElhenney says, speaking in Welsh in the video.

Ryan Reynolds gets a colonoscopy on camera to raise awareness ... (CNN)

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney team up to raise awareness of the rise in colon cancer diagnoses among younger people by filming their first ...

You already did!) thank you for spreading the word!” “We’re so competitive, in fact, that last year Ryan and I made a bet,” McElhenney added. “You didn’t put the scope in yet, did you?” asked Couric, whose husband had died from colon cancer at age 42 in 1998. The journey inspired a docuseries on FX called “Welcome to Wrexham.” We’re almost done,” said her doctor Dr. The video only showed sedation and recovery. We’re doing the examination. Reynolds and McElhenney are cochairs of the Welsh Football Club Wrexham AFC, a fifth-division soccer club founded in 1864 in a dying mining town in Wales. “And you know, part of being this age is getting a colonoscopy. That’s enough motivation for me to let you in on a camera being shoved up my a–,” Either way I win,” McElhenney told the camera while waiting for his procedure. I’m not being overly dramatic.

Ryan Reynolds films 'potentially life-saving' colonoscopy to raise ... (ABC News)

Actor Ryan Reynolds has filmed his first colonoscopy to raise awareness of colorectal cancer, leading to the "potentially life-saving" removal of a polyp.

"Either way, I win." [Lead From Behind](leadfrombehind.org), which is on a mission to "make colon cancer famous", in partnership with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. - Speak to your doctor if you have a family history of colorectal cancer or you are in the recommended age bracket

Ryan Reynolds Shoved A Camera Up His Butt (For A Very Good ... (Fatherly)

Ryan Reynolds has his friend Rob McElhenney to thank after a bet he lost resulted in him getting a potentially live-saving colonoscopy.

[People](https://people.com/health/ryan-reynolds-gets-polyps-removed-after-potentially-life-saving-colonoscopy-rob-mcelhenney/), Ryan and Rob made a bet with each other for some lighthearted fun. Rob ended up deciding to have a colonoscopy as well, through which his doctor discovered three polyps. His doctor explained it would take 30 minutes, and when the procedure was done, Ryan’s doctor explained the results. Ryan lost the bet and took viewers along with him as he had the procedure done. The two actors detailed their experiences in a new video from colon cancer awareness organization Lead From Behind in association with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. But because he’s Ryan Reynolds and he lost a bet, it all happened on camera.

Ryan Reynolds gets a colonoscopy on camera for PSA (Cleveland 19 News)

The doctor found a small one during Reynolds’ procedure. This is exactly why you do this.” A colonoscopy involves using a tiny camera to look through the colon for small growths called polyps that can turn cancerous.

Ryan Reynolds gets a colonoscopy on camera for PSA (WDBJ7)

Ryan Reynolds got a colonoscopy. When should you get a ... (Deseret News)

The doctor removed a polyp during the 30-minute procedure, which was filmed to raise awareness of colorectal cancer screening.

We wanted to have fun with this because as with all the weird things that happen in life, why not make it fun instead of scary?” Added McElhenney, “Ryan and I both turned 45 this year and this is just a rite of passage and a great one because it can literally save your life. According to the most recent guidelines from the American Cancer Society, most people can start being screened at age 45. Patients typically sleep through a colonoscopy, in which a tiny camera is inserted into the colon through the rectum to look for polyps and suspicious growths. If a polyp is found, it’s typically removed during the procedure. The removal interrupted ‘a process that could have ended up developing it to cancer and causing all sorts of problems.’”