Disney alum Christy Carlson Romano is getting candid about a frightening new health scare.
The “Even Stevens” star revealed in an emotional Instagram video, posted Feb. 17, that she and her husband, Brendan Rooney, recently underwent precautionary cancer screenings because the disease runs in her family.
“My husband’s came back completely negative. Mine did not come back negative,” Romano, 41, tearfully said in the clip. “So basically what that means is I may have stageable cancer.”
The mom of two said she was in “disbelief” over the results — but emphasized that they were not an official diagnosis.
Her next step is getting a PET scan. The specialized imaging test uses a small amount of radioactive material to detect signs of cancer, heart disease and certain brain disorders, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Hopefully it’s something easy to treat,” Romano wrote in the video’s caption. “I’m nervous and a bit scared (heck who wouldn’t be!).”
The “Kim Possible” star admitted she hesitated to share the news, worrying she’d come off as “cringe.” But, ultimately, she said it was “her duty” to speak out so others would get screened, too.
So what kind of test could Romano have taken — and how concerned should someone be after a positive result?
The Post reached out to Romano’s reps and spoke with Dr. Elias Obeid, a medical oncologist at Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center in New Jersey, to break it all down.
What test did Romano likely take?
While Romano didn’t reveal the exact screening, one increasingly popular option is a multi-cancer detection (MCD) blood test, designed to catch early signs of cancer before symptoms show up.
These high-tech screenings search for cancer “signals” circulating in your blood. If one is detected, Obeid said, it suggests a “high probability that cancer is present.”
How do MCD tests work?
It begins with a simple blood draw. From there, the sample is analyzed for microscopic fragments of genetic material known as circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA.
“DNA is normally found within our cells, but as cells die, they release their DNA into the bloodstream,” Obeid explained.
“The DNA released into the bloodstream from tumors is known as ctDNA, and researchers have shown its presence is strongly associated with active cancer in the body.”
What can MCD tests tell you?
That depends on the type of MCD test you take.
Some versions attempt to pinpoint where the cancer signal may be coming from — such as the lungs or colon — giving doctors a starting point for follow-up scans. But Obeid cautioned that those predictions aren’t always spot-on.
Other tests are more general. They simply flag that a cancer signal has been detected without identifying a specific body part.
What are the limits to MCD testing?
“It is very important to understand that this is a screening test, meaning it cannot diagnose you with cancer,” Obeid stressed.
And because the technology is still relatively new, it has some limits.
For starters, it doesn’t detect every cancer equally well. Some tumors are simply harder to pick up, depending on where they’re located and how they behave, Obeid said.
Brain tumors, for example, are particularly difficult to detect this way. The blood-brain barrier limits how much tumor DNA can enter the bloodstream, making it tough for a blood test to catch it.
Early-stage cancers can also slip through the cracks because they may not shed enough DNA to register on the test.
And perhaps most important: A “cancer signal detected” result doesn’t always mean someone actually has cancer.
“Because these tests are incredibly sensitive, about half of all positive results are ‘false positives,’” Obeid said.
“Given these limitations, this testing should not replace your regular cancer screenings, like annual mammograms or colonoscopies,” he continued. “Instead, it should be used as an additional tool in a proactive approach to your health.”
Who should consider getting an MCD test?
These screening tools are generally for adults 50 and older.
“This is because the risk of cancer increases with age,” Obeid said. “However, anyone 21 or older can undergo this testing.”
Beyond age, MCD tests are often recommended for people at elevated risk.
“This can include a family history of cancer, certain genetic predispositions like a BRCA mutation in the family, those with environmental exposures like firefighters or other risk factors determined by a healthcare provider,” Obeid said.
On the flip side, the tests are not recommended for people who are pregnant, under 21 or recently diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s crucial to have a conversation with a provider who is knowledgeable about MCD to determine if this type of test is a good fit for your individual health profile,” Obeid said.
If you test positive, should you panic?
“It’s completely natural to feel anxious upon receiving a positive result. However, it’s essential to frame this moment not as an endpoint, but as a starting point,” Obeid said. “This information is a catalyst for action.”
If an MCD test comes back positive, your first move should be to speak with a healthcare provider who is familiar with this unique type of screening.
What happens next depends on the test you took.
If the test doesn’t specify where the signal may be coming from, doctors often order a broad imaging scan, such as a PET/CT, to check for any suspicious areas, Obeid said.
If the test does suggest a likely origin, follow-up may involve targeted imaging, additional biomarker tests or a referral to a specialist in that specific cancer type, he explained.
“If follow-up imaging reveals no concerns, a retest may be an option to help determine if the initial result was a false positive,” Obeid said.
For now, Romano is waiting for her PET scan — and hoping for good news.
“The key to her story is the power of proactive health management,” Obeid said. “She perceptively recognized that a family history of cancer could signify an elevated personal risk, and this awareness prompted her to engage in proactive cancer screening, a critical step for early detection and intervention.”
