Craig Melvin Admits There's Actually 1 Upside to a Colonoscopy as He Encourages People to 'Get Tested' Too (Exclusive)

After nan nonaccomplishment of his brother, Lawrence Meadows, to colon crab successful 2020, Craig Melvin jumped into action.

In conscionable 8 aliases truthful months, he and his wife, sports newsman Lindsay Czarniak, had created and launched The Bottoms Up Invitational successful 2021 — a two-day fundraiser successful Connecticut for nan Colorectal Cancer Alliance complete pinch a performance and a play tournament. Four years later, they've created a organization of survivors and caregivers, and they've raised much than 3 cardinal dollars.

"You'd beryllium amazed really galore group are consenting to thief you erstwhile you're conscionable trying to do immoderate good," Melvin tells PEOPLE, crediting his friend and state euphony prima Darius Rucker for suggesting nan thought and connecting him pinch nan correct folks to put connected nan arena and NBC for being truthful supportive of nan function, which returns for its 4th twelvemonth connected Sept. 14 and 15.

Meadows died successful December 2020 aft being diagnosed pinch shape 4 colon crab years prior. He was 43.

"He was thing for illustration me. He was a confederate Baptist minister. He didn't drink, he didn't smoke. He played shot successful assemblage and precocious schoolhouse arsenic well. He was athletic. He was an entrepreneur," Melvin, 46, says fondly of his precocious brother. "He was a begetter of 2 young children who'd ne'er played play a time successful his life, which is besides portion of irony of nan tournament. And a batch of nan euphony that's played is not euphony that he would particularly enjoy. So each twelvemonth I joke pinch my sister-in-law, his wife, I'm ever like, 'He is laughing his butt disconnected successful heaven. This is not thing he astir apt would've been a portion of.'"

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Now, successful nan years since his brother's death, Melvin says he's go progressively conscientious astir his ain health.

"Just 2 weeks ago, I was astatine nan expert getting nan afloat assemblage scan. I was successful an MRI instrumentality for an hr and immoderate change. I've ever taken my wellness reasonably seriously. I've had 2 colonoscopies since he died," nan Today anchor shares. "I spell to nan expert now if I person a lingering cough. Maybe I've overcorrected, I don't know. But it's 1 of those things that I deliberation has been a plus."

According to nan Colorectal Cancer Alliance, colon crab has a 90% endurance complaint erstwhile detected early via screening, and a colonoscopy is considered nan "gold standard." The process allows doctors to place and region immoderate polyps, which are nan growths that tin move into cancer. Other, at-home screening methods are disposable arsenic well.

"Colonoscopies are golden standard, but we for illustration to promote folks to return immoderate trial you want. I mean, now these days, you've astir apt seen nan talking box, nan at-home stool kits. There's moreover a humor trial that's disposable correct now," Melvin says. "There are different ways that you tin check, but get tested. Because that's nan thing, it's 1 of those cancers that erstwhile they drawback it early, nan endurance rate's [high]."

And, for those who mightiness still beryllium apprehensive astir undergoing nan procedure, Melvin hopes to supply immoderate reassurance.

"By nan way, complete nan years, nan prep has gotten a batch better. It's a batch easier. And nan propofol experience, rather frankly, is not that bad! I mean, each clip I joke pinch my doctor, I'm like, 'You guys are trading this wrong. Don't waste nan colonoscopy, waste them a propofol experience!' And he's like, 'Well, we can't really do that.' I was like, 'Well, I conjecture I understand that,'" he says pinch a good-natured laugh.

The 2025 Bottoms Up Invitational will return spot successful Norwalk, Connecticut, connected Sept. 14 and 15. To study much astir nan arena and really to support it, cheque out the event's charismatic website.