Ryan Reynolds Loses A Bet, Publicly Broadcasts His Own Colonoscopy

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are working together to raise awareness for colon cancer, even if it means publicly broadcasting a colonoscopy.

In efforts to raise awareness, Reynolds and McElhenney decided to team up with Lead From Behind to help spread the message that colon cancer is "the preventable cancer."

The duo likes to joke around from time to time and decided to make a bet -- that McElhenney wouldn't be able to learn Welsh. Reynolds was so confident that McElhenney couldn't hold up his end of the bet that the "Deadpool" actor said he would "publicly broadcast his colonoscopy" if McElhenney could learn Welsh.

Well, McElhenney proved Reynolds wrong as he learned Welsh, meaning it was time for Reynolds to film his colonoscopy.

The two shared a video explaining the entire thing. "I've been on camera a lot. But this was the first time one was shoved up my ass," Reynolds said. "The procedure and prep were painless but the discomfort of filming and sharing the process was the hardest part. Rob and I did it because we want this potentially lifesaving procedure to be less mysterious and stigmatized."

https://youtu.be/5sXkIUZEWIo

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the United States. And, the American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45.

"Ryan and I both turned 45 this year and this is just a rite of passage," McElhenney added, "and a great one because it can literally save your life. It's obviously a procedure that makes people uncomfortable but it sure beats getting cancer. 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?"

Although broadcasting his own colonoscopy was part of losing a bet, Reynolds realized that this could also be a great way to raise awareness of just how important it is to be screened regularly.

"I would never normally have any medical procedure put on camera and then shared," Reynolds says in the video. "It's not every day that you can raise awareness about something that will most definitely save lives. That's enough motivation for me to let you in on a camera being shoved up my ass."

McElhenney also broadcasted his colonoscopy, despite winning the bet, in an attempt to kick colon cancer's butt and continue showing just how important it is to be screened regularly.

A doctor removed a "potentially lifesaving" subtle polyp on the right side of Reynolds's colon and removed three small polyps from McElhenney's colon.

The Colon Cancer Coalition is estimating that by 2030, colorectal cancer may be the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50.

There are several ways to become screened for colon cancer. Per the American Cancer Society:

The ACS recommends that people at average risk* of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45. This can be done either with a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool (a stool-based test), or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum (a visual exam).

*For screening, people are considered to be at average risk if they do not have:

• A personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
• A family history of colorectal cancer
• A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
• A confirmed or suspected hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC)
• A personal history of getting radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer

For more information, visit the American Cancer Society's website or talk to your doctor.