Will Smith Vlogs His First Colonoscopy

Actor Will Smith says that he was convinced by his physician Ala Stanford, MD, that the time had come for the 51-year-old actor to undergo his first screening colonoscopy: "I'm 50, so people

need to look up my stuff," quipped the "Men in Black" star.

But then Smith decided that he needed to do this Hollywood style and he recorded a 17-minute YouTube video (which has now been seen over 2.5 million times). It starts in silent movie mode,

complete with ragtime music and intertitles (the text frames between the movie action sequences), during which Stanford explains the procedure and the preparation for it.

The video then cuts to Smith arriving at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. where he undergoes the procedure. Fortunately, the camera cuts away as he's wheeled into the colonoscopy suite and picks up

in the recovery room where Smith is still feeling giddy from his sedation.

Days later, Smith is seen FaceTiming with Stanford about the results of his colonoscopy. A polyp was found in his cecum, which was removed. Pathology came back as a tubular adenoma, a

precancerous condition. She praised Smith for agreeing to get the test done as he was able to have the polyp removed before it became a problem. The only thing Smith needs to do differently

is that he should have another colonoscopy every 2-3 years.

Smith now hopes to spread the word that preventive screening is important: "Gotta get our health right. There's a certain amount of commitment and embarrassment involved with being healthy.

You just gotta do it."

Cancer of the colon is a highly treatable and often curable disease when localized to the bowel. Surgery is the primary form of treatment and results in cure in approximately 50% of

patients. Recurrence following surgery is a major problem and is often the ultimate cause of death.

Estimated new cases and deaths from colon and rectal cancer in the U.S. in 2019:

Increasing age is the most important risk factor for most cancers. Other risk factors for colorectal cancer include the following:

The main types of colonic polyps are classified as hyperplastic and adenomatous. Hyperplastic polyps are the most common of the two and are considered benign. They are typically small (1 cm

in diameter are associated with a greater risk of cancer. Unremoved, they can continue to grow and may become cancerous.

Adenomatous polyps have three histologic variants: tubular, tubulovillous, and villous. Found throughout the colon, tubular polyps tend to be small, and are the most common type of adenoma.

Villous adenomas tend to be bigger and occur in the rectal area. They have a velvety, cauliflower-like appearance and are nonpedunculated (i.e., they do not have a stalk). Tubulovillous

adenomas have a mixture of both types of adenoma.

Tubular adenomas represent ~75% to 85% of adenomatous polyps and have