WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals radio play-by-play announcer John Walton announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with colon cancer. Walton, who has been calling games for the team for 13 seasons, shared the news in a statement on his social media pages.
In the statement, Walton said he went in for a routine colonoscopy exam on July 29 and learned he had colon cancer. Walton said he will undergo surgery to remove between eight and 10 inches of his colon on Wednesday.
"My prognosis according to my incredible doctors at MedStar Health is good," Walton said.
He said if all goes well, he plans to still be able to call games for the Caps during training camp and preseason in the weeks ahead.
"I will be in a fight for a bit, but it's a fight I'm going to win," Walton said.
Walton said he was sharing his personal story to encourage other men to get screened for colon cancer.
"If you're 45 years old or older, get checked for colon cancer," Walton wrote on social media. "Don't put it off, get it done for you and your family. As shocking as the news was for me, I'm so glad that I did."
Doctors recommend that people with an average risk of colon cancer consider starting colon cancer screening around age 45, the Mayo Clinic says. But people with an increased risk should think about starting screening sooner. People with an increased risk include those with a family history of colon cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and third leading cause of cancer death.
