Comedian Jeff Ross Shares How Doctor Jokingly Told Him He Had Colon Cancer originally appeared on Parade.
Jeff Ross is known for eliciting laughter from crowds, but the legendary roast master, 59, faced a scary situation when he learned he had colon cancer after a routine colonoscopy.
But despite the scary diagnosis, the comedian’s doctor delivered the news untraditionally, Ross recalled on the Wednesday episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“My oncologist was like, ‘Jeff, the good news and bad news. The bad news is you’re going to need six months of chemo. The good news is you lost your hair a long time ago,’ ” he shared.
Ross had been urged by a friend to undergo his first colonoscopy due to his age.
“I was already in my 50s, and I’d never gotten a colonoscopy,” he admitted to Kimmel. “I went in, I had no symptoms, and I had a tumor in my colon. You always think it’s never going to happen to you, and it happened to me.” After having 7 inches of his colon removed, Ross said, “Now I have a semicolon.”
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While he’s doing great health-wise these days, there are remnants of his surgery.
“You know, I had laparoscopic surgery so I have holes around here,” Ross said, pointing to his chest. “Little holes. I’m like 50 Cent if instead of getting shot, he ate pastrami twice a week for 50 years.”
The journey also turned into creative fuel for Ross, who channeled it all into his new Broadway show, Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride, which debuts this summer. Despite the blend of comedy and reality in the show, Ross said he thinks it’s important to speak out about his experience.
“I don’t want the show to be maudlin, but I think it’s important to address it. Norm was very private and hid his sickness,” he said, referencing his dear friend Norm MacDonald, who died in 2021. “I didn’t think that was fair to the audience and his friends, so I’m putting it out there. But I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. It’s going to be a very empowering and bold statement on how to get through tough times.”
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Related: Jeff Ross Shares Health Update Following ‘Entire Night’ Spent in the ER
Comedian Jeff Ross Shares How Doctor Jokingly Told Him He Had Colon Cancer first appeared on Parade on Jun 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
