Colorectal Cancer News

Dr. Oz Cancer Scare "Dumb Luck… Saved My Life"

In early September, Dr. Mehmet Oz underwent a routine colonoscopy that was being filmed for his daytime show. Dr. Jonathan LaPook, CBS News medical correspondent, performed the exam and found a small polyp that had the potential to turn into cancer.

"The only thing holding me back from a terrible outcome is the dumb luck that I checked myself out for the show," Dr. Oz told People magazine. "I would have put this off, like a lot of people. But I bet this saved my life."

This year, nearly 143,000 people will be diagnosed colon cancer and kill more than 51,000.

However, Dr. LaPook said patients who lead a healthy lifestyle do have a benefit over others.

“Mehmet’s healthy lifestyle may actually have protected him from having a bigger polyp – or even colorectal cancer by now.”

References
LaPook, Jonathan. Dr. Oz Cancer Scare “Dumb Luck… Saved My Life”. CBS News Healthwatch. 2010 September 3.

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