Kirstie Alley died after brief battle with colon cancer

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Kirstie Alley died after brief battle with colon cancer: Actress, 71, had only ‘recently discovered’ she had silent killer disease

  • Kirstie’s reps confirmed to People that she died after a battle with colon cancer
  • Her family said she had only ‘recently’ discovered the illness
  • The 71-year-old had been receiving treatment at the Moffatt Cancer Center in Tampa 
  • Colon cancer is known to be a silent killer because symptoms often don’t present themselves until a patient is beyond a cure 

By Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: | Updated:

Kirstie Alley died yesterday after a brief battle with colon cancer, her representatives have revealed. 

The 71-year-old’s family announced yesterday that she had died after a brief battle with the disease that she only ‘recently discovered’. 

Her representatives on Tuesday told People that she had colon cancer – which is known as a ‘silent killer’, because symptoms often take longer to present themselves than in other types of the disease.

Final photo on September 8th: Kirstie Alley's family and representatives have confirmed she died of colon cancer

Final photo on September 8th: Kirstie Alley’s family and representatives have confirmed she died of colon cancer 

In a statement on social media, her family said: ‘She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. 

‘As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.’ 

John Travolta led tributes to the actress on social media. 

‘Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again,’ he said.  

COLON CANCER: WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS?

Bowel, or colorectal, cancer affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.

Such tumors usually develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.

Symptoms include:

  • Bleeding from the bottom
  • Blood in stools
  • A change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Extreme, unexplained tiredness
  • Abdominal pain

Most cases have no clear cause, however, people are more at risk if they: 

  • Are over 50
  • Have a family history of the condition
  • Have a personal history of polyps in their bowel
  • Suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease
  • Lead an unhealthy lifestyle  

Treatment usually involves surgery, and chemo- and radiotherapy.

More than nine out of ten people with stage 1 bowel cancer survive five years or more after their diagnosis.

Unfortunately, only around a third of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this early stage. 

The majority of people come to the doctor when the disease has spread beyond the wall of the colon or rectum or to distant parts of the body, which decreasing the chance of being successfully cured of colon cancer. 

According to Bowel Cancer UK figures, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. 

It affects around 40 per 100,000 adults per year in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute.

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