Ryan Reynolds Shares Colonoscopy Experience; Here's What The Doctor Found [Video]

Ryan Reynolds has filmed and shared his first colonoscopy experience to raise awareness about colon cancer, which experts say is a highly preventable disease with regular screenings.

Reynolds recently turned 45 — the new recommended age to begin screening as more people younger than 50 are getting colon cancer, as per the American Cancer Society. He met with Dr. Jonathan LaPook, chief medical correspondent at CBS News and professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, for colon cancer screening and shared his experience on his Instagram and YouTube pages.

"I would never normally have any medical procedure put on camera. It's not every day where you can raise awareness on something that will most definitely save lives," Reynolds says in the clip as he takes an elevator to the office of LaPook, who was his doctor in the past, according to CBS News. "That's enough motivation for me to let you in."

Reynolds has a short chat with the doctor once he reaches his office, and then he is taken to the examination room for the "stunningly effective" procedure. Twenty-five minutes later, LaPook informs the actor about "an extremely subtle polyp" found on the right side of his colon.

"This was potentially lifesaving for you. I'm not kidding," Lapook tells Reynolds. "This is exactly why you do this. You had no symptoms."

"Thank you for pushing me to do this," Reynolds says in response.

The doctor then shows an image of the polyp that was cut off from Reynold's colon. "I just cut it off with a snare and it's gone. You are interrupting the natural history of a disease...that could have ended up...developing into cancer. You're not only diagnosing the polyp, you're taking it out," LaPook explains. "That's why people need to do this. This saves lives."

A colon polyp is a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. Most polyps are harmless, but some can develop into colon cancer that is fatal when found in later stages, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Besides Reynolds' colon cancer screening, the video also shows his friend and fellow actor Rob McElhenney going in for his colonoscopy, having three small polyps removed from his colon, and being told by doctors to get screened again after two years.

Reynolds and McElhenney recently signed a partnership with Lead From Behind, an organization seeking to raise awareness about colon cancer prevention among men and women.