CNN —
Colon cancer has claimed another life. Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kirstie Alley, best known for her roles on TV sitcoms Cheers and Veronica’s Closet, died Monday aged 71 after battling ‘recently discovered’ cancer according to the family statement.
A rep for Alley confirmed to CNN via email Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer before her death.
colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in 2022, surpassed only by lung and bronchial cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program.
According to the US Preventive Services Task Force, regular checkups are the best way to keep colon cancer at bay. The task force lowered the age to start screening for colon and rectal cancer to 45 last year after cases of colon cancer in people under 50 saw a worrying rise.
The new recommendations apply to everyone aged 45 and over 75, including those with no symptoms, no prior diagnosis, no family history of colon or rectal disease, and no personal history of polyps, all of which are important risk factors. Polyps are bumps, or tiny fungus-like stalks, that grow in the colon or rectum.
If these growths are not found and removed, they can become cancerous.
Adults ages 76 to 85 may also be screened, depending on their general health, history and personal preferences, the task force said.
Colorectal cancer screening can be done in a number of ways, including simple mail-in tests that look for blood or cancer cells in a stool sample taken from the patient. However, all stool tests can have false-positive test results, which the American Cancer Society says would likely require a more invasive test to rule out cancer.
Stool Tests: While a stool test is the least invasive option, it must be done at least once a year, the society says said. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers should be avoided for seven days before a stool test, while red meat such as beef, lamb, or liver and citrus or vitamin C supplements should be avoided for at least three days.
If the test reveals something worrisome, “you still need a colonoscopy to determine if you have cancer,” according to ACS. However, hidden bleeding in the stool does not automatically indicate cancer, since ulcers, hemorrhoids and other diseases can also cause rectal bleeding.
DNA stool test: A DNA stool test is another option, the society said. Because colon cancer cells can carry DNA mutations, the test can check for these genetic abnormalities. This test only needs to be performed every three years, but a complete stool sample must be collected and mailed.
Patients may have issues with insurance coverage since the test is fairly new, ACS said. Again, if anything suspicious is found, a colonoscopy is required.
For all of the following tests, the colon must be clean and free of stool debris, which requires home bowel preparation. Ways to defecate include taking pills, drinking a laxative solution, or using an enema the night before the procedure.
This process has gotten a lot easier over the years with the advent of new kits that don’t require as much liquid laxative, so talk to your doctor about your options, ACS suggests.
Colonoscopy: One of the most commonly used tests, this procedure allows a doctor to access the entire length of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope, which is a “flexible, lighted tube about the thickness of a finger with a small video camera on the end,” ACS said.
Typically, the patient is lightly sedated throughout the procedure and wakes up unaware of what is happening. The doctor sees real-time video of the endoscope moving through the intestines and can stop and insert small instruments into the endoscope to take a sample or even remove suspect polyps.
Virtual colonoscopy: This test uses computer programs that take X-rays and a computed tomography (CT) scan to create three-dimensional images of the inside of the colon and rectum.
The test does not require sedation. However, it requires the same bowel preparation as a regular colonoscopy. After the patient drinks a contrast medium, a small, flexible tube is inserted into the rectum, followed by pumped air that expands the rectum and colon for better images.
As with all CT scans, this procedure exposes the patient to a small amount of radiation and can cause convulsions until the air leaves the body, the society said. If a suspicious mass is found, a colonoscopy is still needed to remove the mass.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy: In this test, the same flexible camera tube is inserted into the lower part of the colon. However, since the tube is only 60 centimeters long, this test only allows the doctor to examine the entire rectum and less than half of the colon—missing any polpys in the upper colon. This test is not widely used in the United States, the society said.
Many people avoid a colonoscopy, in part because of the preparation. In 2000, to encourage people to get checked out, former Today host Katie Couric broadcast her entire procedure – from the night before’s preparation to a lightly sedated Couric watching the procedure unfold.
“I have a nice little colon,” Couric said with a sleepy giggle as she watched the video projection from the endoscope in her colon. “You haven’t used the scope yet, have you?” asked Couric, whose husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 42.
“Yes! We’re taking the exam. We’re almost done,” her late doctor said dr Kenneth Forde, who taught at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City for nearly 40 years.
More recently, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney videotaped portions of their colonoscopies to raise public awareness after Reynolds lost a bet.
“Rob and I both turned 45 this year,” Reynolds said in the video. “And you know, part of that age is a colonoscopy. It’s a simple step that could literally – and I mean literally – save your life.”
Doctors determined that both actors had polyps, which were removed during screening.
“You can’t raise awareness every day about something that will definitely save lives. That’s enough motivation for me to let you in on a camera that slides into my A-,” Reynolds said.
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