Will Smith recently underscored the need for routine health exams. His doctor, Dr. Ala Stanford, told him to schedule a colonoscopy after his 50th birthday. Not only did he agree to it, he documented the whole thing on video.
And while it wasn’t pleasant, it was a good thing Will went when he did. The doctor told him that they’d found and removed a pre-cancerous polyp – a tubular adenoma. Apparently, 95 percent of colon cancers arise from that type of polyp that was in his colon. His doctor explained that had he not known; it would have continued to grow. “Yours was on a side that would’ve been more advanced, you would’ve had fewer typical symptoms and by the time you presented it could’ve been full-blown and spread throughout your body.”
Dr. Stanford went on to thank Will for being a compliant patient because screening and early detection saves lives. In the future, he’ll need another procedure in the next two to three years. And while he eats well and exercises, the type of polyp he had is outside of human control.
