Patrick Dempsey's Dempsey Center has helped a plethora of cancer patients over the years, but he has dedicated this month to raising awareness about colorectal cancer. And he recently stressed how sports training can help in such cases.

Dempsey has been extremely vocal about how early detection of colorectal cancer can save lives, but the screening process for the same can be taxing.

However, during his appearance on the March 11 episode of the Strong Talk podcast, the 60-year-old detailed that the mental frame that develops from sports can be beneficial in getting through the screening.

Answering Men's Health's health director, Marty Munson's question, he said, "It's the psychological aspect is the hardest part of going in and getting a screening. Taking the time, and then [the thought of], 'What happens if they discover something?'"

Dempsey also explained how the mindset he built through sports training helped him push past the psychological hurdle to get the screening done.

He said, "You need to be present. You don’t need to worry about the past or the future. It’s about the now. If I can just get myself out the door and go, I’ve already won. And that’s the hardest step."

However, besides sharing how sports training helped him overcome the mental hurdle of screening on podcasts, Dempsey has also been using his reach to push for greater awareness around colorectal cancer detection.

Patrick Dempsey’s Collaborative Approach to Advocate for Early Screening of Colorectal Cancer

Dempsey has been an avid cancer advocate following his mother’s cancer diagnosis, an experience that shaped his commitment to the cause. In 2008, he founded The Dempsey Center with a focus on providing supportive cancer care services.

However, besides other efforts, Dempsey got into a collaboration with Guardant Health in March, as it is CRC Awareness Month. His main motive? Spreading awareness about the importance of early detection of colorectal cancer.

“If you’re 45 and over and at average risk for CRC, talk to your doctor about screening options, including innovative solutions like Shield that are making screening easier and more convenient to complete,” said Dempsey.

The actor also shared his experience of getting screened with Shield, a methylation partitioning cell-free DNA (mp-cfDNA) non-invasive, blood-based screening test that detects alterations associated with colorectal cancer in the blood.

It is intended as a screening test for individuals at average risk for the disease, age 45 or older, and is not intended for individuals at high risk for colorectal cancer. 

So, if you aren't someone who is at significant risk, would you like to go for Dempsey's suggested test, especially with the National Library of Medicine stating that cases of colorectal cancer are surging steeply in young adults?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Souvik Roy