Colon cancer: early detection saves lives 3:42
(CNN) --
Colon cancer has claimed another life: Two-time Emmy-winning actress Kirstie Alley, best remembered for her roles on "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet," died Monday at age 71 after battling cancer. that they "recently discovered" him, according to a statement from his family.
A rep for Alley confirmed to CNN via email Tuesday that he was diagnosed with colon cancer before his death.
Actress Kirstie Alley has died at the age of 71 after battling colon cancer.
(Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
Colorectal cancer, which includes cancers of the colon and rectum, is the second most common cause of cancer death in 2022, second only to lung and bronchial cancer, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and Final Results Program of the National Institute of Cancer. Cancer.
Regular checkups are the best way to keep colon cancer at bay, according to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
Last year, the entity reduced the age at which screening tests for colon and rectal cancer should begin to 45 years, after a worrying increase in cases of colorectal cancer in people under 50 years of age.
Experts lower the recommended age to start colorectal cancer screening tests to 45 years
The new recommendations apply to all people ages 45 to 75, including those who have no symptoms, have not been previously diagnosed, have no family history of colon or rectal disease, and no personal history of polyps, which are factors key risk.
Polyps are small mushroom-shaped growths or stalks that grow inside the colon or rectum.
If they are not detected and removed, they can become cancerous.
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According to the task force, adults ages 76 to 85 can also undergo these tests, depending on their overall health, history, and personal preferences.
What kind of non-invasive tests are there?
Screening for colorectal cancer can be done in a number of ways, including simple mail-in tests that look for blood or cancer cells in a stool sample collected by the patient.
However, all stool tests can give false-positive results, which would likely require a more invasive test to rule out cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Stool analysis:
Although stool analysis is the least invasive option, it should be done at least once a year, according to the Society.
Anti-inflammatory pain relievers cannot be taken for seven days prior to the stool analysis, while red meat, such as beef, lamb, or liver, and any citrus or vitamin C supplements should be avoided for at least three days.
If the test finds anything worrisome, "you'll still need a colonoscopy to see if you have cancer," according to the ACS.
However, hidden bleeding in the stool is not an automatic sign of cancer, as ulcers, hemorrhoids, and other conditions can also cause rectal bleeding.
Stool DNA test: Stool
DNA testing is another option, according to the society.
Because colorectal cancer cells can carry DNA mutations, the test can detect those genetic abnormalities.
This test only needs to be done once every three years, but a complete stool sample must be collected and mailed.
Patients may have insurance coverage issues because the test is fairly new, the ACS said.
Again, if anything suspicious is found, a colonoscopy will still be necessary.
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More invasive visual tests
For all of the following tests, the colon must be clean and free of fecal matter, which requires specific bowel preparation at home.
Ways to empty the bowels include pills, drinking a laxative solution, or using an enema the night before the procedure.
This process has become much easier in recent years with the advent of new kits that don't require as much liquid laxative, so discuss the options available to you with your doctor, the ACS suggested.
Colonoscopy:
One of the most widely used tests, this procedure allows a doctor to access the entire length of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope, a "lighted, flexible, finger-thick tube with a small video camera on the end." ACS said.
Typically, the patient is lightly sedated throughout the procedure and wakes up unaware of the process.
The doctor watches via video in real time as the scope moves through the intestine and may stop and insert small instruments into the scope to take a sample or even remove suspicious polyps.
Virtual colonoscopy:
This test uses computer programs that take x-rays and a computed tomography (CT) scan to obtain 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 normal colonoscopy.
After the patient drinks contrast dye, a small flexible tube will be inserted into the rectum, followed by pumping of 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 cramping until the air leaves the body, the society notes.
If a suspicious mass is detected, a colonoscopy will still be necessary to remove it.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy:
This test inserts the same flexible camera tube 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 rectum and less than half of the colon: any polyps in the upper part of the colon will go undetected.
According to the society, this test is not commonly used in the United States.
It's not that bad
Many people avoid having a colonoscopy, in part because of the preparation, so to encourage people to get tested, "Today" host Katie Couric broadcast the entire procedure in 2000: from the preparation the night before to a lightly sedated Couric watching the procedure unfold.
"I have a pretty small colon," Couric said with a sleepy chuckle as he watched the video projection of the endoscope inside his colon.
"You haven't put the scope in yet, have you?" asked Couric, whose husband, Jay Monahan, had died of colon cancer at age 42 in 1998.
"Yes! We're doing the exam. We're almost done," replied his doctor, the late Dr. Kenneth Forde, who taught for nearly 40 years at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.
Most recently, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney videotaped portions of their colonoscopies to raise public awareness after Reynolds lost a bet.
Ryan Reynolds undergoes a colonoscopy on camera to raise awareness
"Rob and I are turning 45 this year," Reynolds says in the video.
"And you know, part of being this age is getting a colonoscopy. It's a simple step that could literally, and I mean literally, save your life."
Doctors discovered that both actors had polyps that were removed during the checkup.
"It's not every day that you get to raise awareness about something that will definitely save lives. That motivates me enough to let them shove a camera up my ass," Reynolds said.
-- Chloe Melas, Brenda Goodman and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed reporting.
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