Dr.OZ talks cancer scare
Health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz is now at high risk for developing cancer. He had a recent brush with the disease during a routine procedure and plans to disclose more Tuesday during the season premiere of his show.
Dr. Oz revealed last week that he has a precancerous polyp on his colon, which was caught early enough that it won’t likely turn into something more serious — for now.
“This was a shake-up for me,” he told People magazine. “I have done everything right. I don’t have any family history, and yet I’m ‘high risk’ now.”
Oz’s popular syndicated TV show may have saved him from an early death — or at least a long battle with cancer — as the abnormal cells were found during a colonoscopy that he was taping for his program.
“The only thing holding me back from a terrible outcome is the dumb luck that I checked myself out for the show,” Oz told the magazine. “I would have put this off, like a lot of people. But I bet this saved my life.”
The celebrity doctor will have to be tested again in three months and screened in regular intervals after that, eventually getting colonoscopies every five years if no other polyps are detected. Typically the procedure is only required once every five to 10 years in people 50 and older.
The advocate for healthy living told People he “always” takes the advice he doles out to his audience. The scare has been trying, to say the least.
“There’s a lot of tension,” he said. “It’s frustrating. Why did this happen to me? It forces you to question the assumptions you make about life.”
Because most colon cancers — about 90 percent — develop in people in the 50-and-older age bracket, those who have just turned 50 should schedule a colonoscopy and get one at least every five to 10 years depending on family history; existence of bowel conditions like Crohn’s disease or colitis; lifestyle issues like smoking, excessive drinking, diabetes, obesity, or a diet low in fiber and high in fat; and other risk factors.
Those suffering from possible symptoms of colon cancer should see a doctor immediately. The Mayo Clinic lists these as potential signs:
– Rectal bleeding and/or blood in the stool
– A change in bowel habits or bowel consistency
– Chronic abdominal cramping, pain or gas
– Fatigue
– Sudden, unexplained weight loss
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