Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is sharing his cancer prevention journey with the world.

Portnoy, 47, had a colonoscopy on July 31 and documented the experience on social media for his fans.

The CEO announced in a video on X, formerly Twitter, on July 29 that he was preparing for the procedure in Boston, as part of what he jokingly called the “Dave is getting old checklist.”

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Before beginning his fasting and prep, Portnoy said he ate “seven f***in’ dinners from Giacomo’s.”

While he expressed that he was dreading the procedure, he emphasized the importance of men getting screened, saying, “You gotta do it.”

Colon cancer “is the second leading killer of men,” Portnoy said in the video. “It can be treated if you catch it early.”

(Updated statistics from the American Cancer Society show that colorectal cancer is the third-deadliest cancer for men, after lung cancer and prostate cancer.)

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Portnoy said he has partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Lead From Behind to help raise awareness of colorectal cancer.

“I’m a captain, that’s what captains do — they lead the ship,” he said.

On July 30, Portnoy jokingly posted, “I’m starving. May not make it.”

The next morning, at 5:48 a.m, he posted, “Rise and shine, it’s colonoscopy time!”

He then shared a video of himself upon arrival at the facility, joking that no one was available to check him in even though he’d been instructed to show up an hour early.

At 7:18 a.m., after he’d been checked in and changed into a gown, Portnoy shared a selfie with the caption, “Locked and loaded.”

WHAT IS COLORECTAL CANCER? SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, RISKS AND MORE OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH CONCERN

It appeared that the procedure went smoothly, as his next post was a short video taken afterward, showing him a bit loopy from the anesthetic.

Later that day, he posted photos of his post-colonoscopy “refill meal.” 

In June, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, which was surgically removed from his neck.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Portnoy and Lead From Behind for comment.

Portnoy has previously been open about his health issues.

In June, the social media personality revealed on his podcast, “The BFFs Pod,” that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, which was surgically removed from his neck.

Portnoy is partnering with the Washington, D.C. nonprofit Lead From Behind to help raise awareness of colorectal cancer. (Tom Briglia/ Getty Images)

The condition was caused by “lying in the sun all day with no sunscreen,” Portnoy said.

“I went to a doctor, did a skin thing, they scrape it, and one of them came back cancerous; got to take it out,” he added.

Portnoy then said on X that the cancer “wasn’t the serious kind, thank god.”

Portnoy isn’t the first public figure to be open about having a colonoscopy.

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In 1997, journalist Katie Couric — then a host on the “Today” show — received her first colonoscopy on-air, in an effort to raise awareness and encourage others to get screened.

Shortly before her procedure, Couric lost her first husband to the disease. 

In 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its guidelines to recommend that adults begin regular screenings for colorectal cancer at 45 years old.

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Lead From Behind — which states on its website that it’s “on a mission to make colon cancer famous” — launched in 2022 to help raise awareness of colon cancer prevention.

Actor Ryan Reynolds and football player Dak Prescott have also partnered with the organization to boost colon cancer awareness, according to the Lead From Behind website.

While Thursday’s release of American prisoners from Russia was marked by celebration and relief, the former captives could face future health challenges, experts say.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American veteran Paul Whelan were among those released from Russia on Thursday in a large prisoner swap.

A third U.S. citizen, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, was also released.

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A plane carrying the freed Americans landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night, where they were greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The newly released prisoners were then flown to San Antonio, Texas, for evaluation and rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center, a premier military medical facility, according to reports.

Although the prisoners are safely back on U.S. soil and have been reunited with their families, they may experience mental health challenges stemming from the trauma of detainment, said experts.

“Besides the obvious threats to one’s safety and the horrifying prospect of confinement, a situation like this is fraught with uncertainty,” Dr. Norman Blumenthal, director of the Ohel Zachter Family National Trauma Center in New York, told Fox News Digital. 

WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP; PAUL WHELAN ALSO BEING FREED

“Ambiguity in and of itself induces stress — and that, coupled with their very predicament, can create a marked escalation of trauma.” (None of the experts cited here have treated the released Americans.)

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich greets colleagues at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, following his release as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. “It’s important that they have the space and privacy they need to process this on their own timeline,” said a mental health expert. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Dr. Karen DeCocker, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner director at Stella Centers in Chicago, noted that being held captive can lead to several types of trauma. 

“This varies from person to person based on prior history and the experiences encountered during captivity,” she told Fox News Digital.

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While each person reacts differently to trauma, Blumenthal predicted that the freed prisoners would likely experience an “initial thrill and exhilaration” from their liberation. 

“The celebrations and enthusiastic reunions with loved ones can temporarily overshadow the trauma,” he noted. 

“Frightening flashbacks and intrusive recollections can become disruptive and destabilizing.”

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“As life returns to normal and routines set in, that is often when the frightening flashbacks and intrusive recollections can become disruptive and destabilizing.”

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, said it is likely the prisoners experienced physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, dehydration, malnutrition and possibly infections.

Trauma disorders and symptoms

Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said that Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva, along with the other released prisoners, may suffer from both acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

WHAT IS PTSD? SYMPTOMS THAT CAN EMERGE AFTER EXPERIENCING A TRAUMATIC EVENT

ASD is a short-term mental health condition that typically occurs within a month after a traumatic experience, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.

This image released by the White House shows Evan Gershkovich, left, Alsu Kurmasheva, right, and Paul Whelan, second from right, and others aboard a plane, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, following their release from Russian captivity.  (White House via AP)

“Acute stress disorder may include flashbacks, nightmares, intense fear and high anxiety,” Alpert told Fox News Digital.  

It can also include feelings of numbness or detachment.

PTSD occurs when such symptoms persist for a month or longer, and the anxiety becomes chronic, according to Alpert.

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PTSD may include many of the same symptoms as ASD, and can impair the person’s ability to function in daily activities.

The freed prisoners may also experience depression, anger and difficulty trusting others, said Alpert.   

“The celebrations and enthusiastic reunions with loved ones can temporarily overshadow the trauma.”

“I’ve also seen people have trouble focusing and making decisions in light of a trauma,” he added.

It could also be challenging for the former prisoners to reintegrate into their normal environments and social groups, Alpert said.

Symptoms of trauma are “not universal,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.

One “tried-and-true method” of coping is to retell the events to supportive people who act as listeners, not solvers, according to one expert. (iStock)

“There are differences, and not everyone experiences PTSD,” he said. 

“Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, depersonalization and derealization, anxiety and depression.”

DeCocker noted that symptoms can be both mental and physical — including the following five points.

1. Dissociation

“Individuals may experience dissociation, where they feel disconnected from their thoughts, feelings or sense of identity,” DeCocker told Fox News Digital. 

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“This can manifest as feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization) or from the world around them (derealization).”

2. Survivor’s guilt

Some trauma survivors may feel a sense of guilt for having survived a traumatic experience when others did not, or for putting themselves or others in situations that led to captivity, DeCocker said. 

They may also feel guilty about the stress and anxiety that family members and loved ones experienced during their imprisonment. 

3. Interpersonal and relationship issues

“Issues with trust, intimacy and personal relationships often occur with survivors and their families,” DeCocker told Fox News Digital. 

Former prisoners Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan were on the phone with President Biden on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (The White House)

“The impact of their captivity often comes from their inability to relate the experience to others.”

4. Self-esteem and identity issues

Trauma survivors may experience feelings of shame, worthlessness or confusion about their identity, according to DeCocker. 

“In this case, where there was an exchange of prisoners, there may be added complexity,” she said.

5. Cognitive distortions

It’s not uncommon for trauma survivors to have negative beliefs about themselves or the world, according to DeCocker. 

“Generalizations about the world being unsafe or out of their control can occur,” she said. “Threats are often seen in everyday experiences.”

Tips for overcoming trauma

Given the high-profile release, Gershkovich and Whelan will likely receive a large amount of media attention, Alpert noted — “but it’s important that they have the space and privacy they need to process this on their own timeline.”

DeCocker agreed, stressing the importance of taking extensive time to heal and recover. 

“There is no rush to reintegrate,” she told Fox News Digital. “Time is best devoted toward rest and restoring a sense of balance and normalcy.”

Embracing daily routines and structure can help with that, DeCocker said.

Former prisoner U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva runs to her daughters as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 1, 2024. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The freed prisoners may also want to avoid spending too much time on social media and the news in the early days to avoid retriggering discussions and events, she advised.

One “tried-and-true method” of coping is to retell the events to supportive people who act as listeners, not solvers, according to Blumenthal. 

“Putting the experience into words can help with healing and adjusting to the more mundane aspects of life and routine,” he said.

“In the case of a severe trauma, such as being held prisoner and wrongly convicted, symptoms may not surface right away.”

If symptoms are interfering with day-to-day functioning, Alpert recommends seeking professional help.

“In the case of a severe trauma, such as being held prisoner and wrongly convicted, symptoms may not surface right away,” he pointed out. 

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“It can be helpful to get ahead of it and speak to a specialist.” 

All forms of professional help are useful, DeCocker noted. Those include talk therapy, psychiatric support, interventional treatment modalities specific to treating trauma, and physical treatments and therapies to heal the body.

If symptoms are interfering with day-to-day functioning, mental health experts recommend seeking professional help. (iStock)

Other treatments may include cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and medications such as beta blockers, antidepressants and potentially psychedelics, according to Siegel.

Support from loving family members and friends is also key, the doctor added.

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Most people do have an “inherent resilience and capacity to hope,” Blumental said.

“These and other freed hostages may, on their own, mobilize and harness strength and heroic reformulations of their recent incarceration to go on and resume normal functioning.”

Scott McDonald of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Aspirin is widely known for its heart attack prevention benefits, but a new study has also linked the common drug to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

The study analyzed data from 107,655 men and women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study over a three-decade span. It was published in JAMA Oncology on Thursday.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Washington University School of Medicine found that regular aspirin use was linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer — especially for those with the unhealthiest lifestyles.

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“It shows an association between regular, low-dose aspirin use and decreased colon cancer use (close to 20%) in patients who are already at higher risk for several reasons, including smoking or poor diet,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, who was not involved in the study.

Criteria for determining unhealthy lifestyles included higher body mass index, heavy smoking, higher alcohol intake, lack of physical activity and poor nutrition.

“We observed that participants in our study with the least healthy lifestyle had the greatest absolute benefit from aspirin use,” lead study author Daniel Sikavi, M.D., a board-certified physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Fox News Digital.

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“These participants had multiple risk factors that increased their overall risk of developing colorectal cancer, and our results show that aspirin can proportionally lower this markedly elevated risk.”

Among patients with a healthier lifestyle, the benefit from aspirin was still evident, but less pronounced.

Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that health care providers might consider recommending aspirin to patients with a less healthy lifestyle. (AP Photo/Emma H. Tobin)

“In the least healthy group, treating 78 patients with aspirin would prevent one case of colorectal cancer over 10 years, while it would take treating 909 patients to prevent one case in the healthiest group,” added Sikavi.

As to why aspirin decreases colon cancer risk, Siegel said it is likely due to the fact that the medication acts as an anti-inflammatory, and many cancers are associated with increased inflammation.

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Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that health care providers consider recommending aspirin to patients with a less healthy lifestyle.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and about 46,220 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. (iStock)

“This work is an example of how we can move beyond one-size-fits-all strategies for cancer prevention by targeting effective preventive agents, such as aspirin, to the populations that are most likely to benefit,” Sikavi said.

Potential limitations

One limitation of the study was that the researchers did not systematically assess potential side effects associated with aspirin use, Sikavi noted.

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“Because this was an observational study, it is possible there may have been additional factors that influenced our findings, although we rigorously accounted for a number of known risk factors for colorectal cancer,” he said.

Siegel reiterated that because this is an observational study, “it is still not proof.”

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and about 46,220 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024.