Kirstie Alley dead at 71 from colon cancer

[whitewave]

Get your colonoscopies!

Apparently she just found out she had colon cancer and it was too far gone.

No one likes to get it done. It’s a lot for one procedure.

But it’s called the silent killer because you don’t know you have it until it’s too late.

If caught at stage I, it’s 90% curable.

The new poop test isn’t really recommended by specialists. Nothing is as good as getting up in there and looking and then cutting out whatever shouldn’t be there.

 

[RMOO]

I have mine scheduled this month, and I dread it. However, I know it is a small inconvenience for the piece of mind. My husband (who's own father died at the age of 48 from it) was told by his doctor that if there is one cancer that is in the family, this is the one you want. Because as long as you get your colonoscopies at the prescribed intervals, it is one that you can avoid getting entirely - they can cut anything out before it ever transitions to cancer.

 

[lulu_ma]

#this

Just got my 4th one last month. I had to start getting them early. I nagged my mom for years until she finally got one (stubborn former nurse and physician's wife). She was stage 3B. It's a blessing that she's cancer free 13 years later.

 

[MamaBee]

I’ve been getting them since I’m 40 every five years. I have a strong family history. I started developing the kind of polyps that can turn into cancer. Last time I had five! When that happens I go back in three years. I went during the heat of the pandemic. I wasn’t going to miss a screening..It’s too important.
@lulu_ma Im so happy your mom is okay!

 

[Mreader]

#this

Just got my 4th one last month. I had to start getting them early. I nagged my mom for years until she finally got one (stubborn former nurse and physician's wife). She was stage 3B. It's a blessing that she's cancer free 13 years later.

Wow! Do y'all have family a lot of family history? Thank goodness she finally listened to you.

There are now pills you can take instead of drinking the awful prep. They aren't prescribed that much for some reason. I had to push for the pills when my brother (who has autism and could no way drink that stuff) had to have one. I would rather take the pills than drink the liquid any day, and hopefully it becomes more common because I think more people would get their tests done if the prep were easier.

 

[autumngems]

Whoohoo, I didn't know they have pills now, I will ask for those for my next one. My mother had Colon Cancer so I am meticulous about it

 

[monarch64]

Kirstie was a Scientologist and they don’t believe they’ll get cancer and the only treatment they’re really allowed to do is homeopathic. I’m guessing she ignored symptoms and then refused traditional treatment.

Important PSA nonetheless.

 

[MamaBee]

Wow! Do y'all have family a lot of family history? Thank goodness she finally listened to you.

There are now pills you can take instead of drinking the awful prep. They aren't prescribed that much for some reason. I had to push for the pills when my brother (who has autism and could no way drink that stuff) had to have one. I would rather take the pills than drink the liquid any day, and hopefully it becomes more common because I think more people would get their tests done if the prep were easier.

My 37 year old son has Autism. He will need to have one at 40. I hope he can get the pills. He
couldn’t drink that stuff either.

 

[doberman]

It was colon cancer? My bio father had that, he has a colostomy now. I've been tested since I was 34, since it was a genetic form of colon cancer. But in all those nearly 30 years I've had only 1 polyp. The only bad part of a colonoscopy is the prep. I just decide to camp in the bathroom for the day....

 

[lulu_ma]

I’ve been getting them since I’m 40 every five years. I have a strong family history. I started developing the kind of polyps that can turn into cancer. Last time I had five! When that happens I go back in three years. I went during the heat of the pandemic. I wasn’t going to miss a screening..It’s too important.
@lulu_ma Im so happy your mom is okay!

Thank you @MamaBee ! My kids were so young when she was diagnosed! I’ve had the bad kind of polyps too. When I hear people complain about the prep (which isn’t fun) I always say that it’s better than chemo!

 

[lulu_ma]

Wow! Do y'all have family a lot of family history? Thank goodness she finally listened to you.

There are now pills you can take instead of drinking the awful prep. They aren't prescribed that much for some reason. I had to push for the pills when my brother (who has autism and could no way drink that stuff) had to have one. I would rather take the pills than drink the liquid any day, and hopefully it becomes more common because I think more people would get their tests done if the prep were easier.

One of my physician friends lost her father the year she got married. It was so sad-he kept telling her that he was getting checked, but was lying. By the time they found it, it was too late.

My mom had some symptoms so kept nagging her to get checked. She didn’t get checked until she was in her 60s. She is really fortunate.

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you @MamaBee ! My kids were so young when she was diagnosed! I’ve had the bad kind of polyps too. When I hear people complain about the prep (which isn’t fun) I always say that it’s better than chemo!

I agree! It’s a cancer that can be prevented. Two days of inconvenience is a small price to pay..

 

[tyty333]

This makes me sad. I always liked her for not being the typical Hollywood type.

My Colonoscopy is scheduled for next week. I was scheduled about a month ago but then the hurricane hit the day of so it
got postponed.

I have the pills. The pills arent covered by our insurance and I think they cost about $140 from what the doc said. I said there was no
way I could drink all that liquid again. Why do I have to drink the same amount of water that my 200+ husband has to drink??? His
stomach is a lot bigger than mine and can hold more. Anywho, I told the Doc and he just gave me the pills (no charge, I would have
happily paid). You still have to drink a fair amount of water but nothing like the foul liquid, it's W-A-T-E-R! Yes, please!

Still not looking forward to it but very thankful that we have a way to examine the insides and catch things early!

 

[Bruin Bling]

@tyty333 - I just had a colonoscopy done last week and received an all clear.

My doctor prescribed the pills, which also weren't covered, but I'm glad that I got them. Much, MUCH better than the liquid option, and the amount of water was actually manageable (160lb male), as you drink it over a long period of time during both courses. Just make sure to stagger the two courses appropriately depending on if you have an AM or PM procedure. The doctor's office was able to help out with that. Good luck!

 

[Piper70]

Thanks for sharing about the pills! I am overdue for my first but I am going to schedule it for right after the new year. No family history, fortunately.

 

[FL_Sol]

@tyty333 - I just had a colonoscopy done last week and received an all clear.

My doctor prescribed the pills, which also weren't covered, but I'm glad that I got them. Much, MUCH better than the liquid option, and the amount of water was actually manageable (160lb male), as you drink it over a long period of time during both courses. Just make sure to stagger the two courses appropriately depending on if you have an AM or PM procedure. The doctor's office was able to help out with that. Good luck!

Well….
I asked my doc for an alternative for my colonoscopy a month ago and they said there wasn’t.
I have gastroparesis and vomited repeatedly, for hours, after about 1/3 of the liquid prep. Luckily, I know my body and started the low residue part days earlier so the doc had great visualization.
The experience was so bad, and I knew it would be, that I don’t know if I could ever do that liquid version again.

I now am curious as to whether only some hospitals accept the pill version.

 

[Mreader]

Well….
I asked my doc for an alternative for my colonoscopy a month ago and they said there wasn’t.
I have gastroparesis and vomited repeatedly, for hours, after about 1/3 of the liquid prep. Luckily, I know my body and started the low residue part days earlier so the doc had great visualization.
The experience was so bad, and I knew it would be, that I don’t know if I could ever do that liquid version again.

I now am curious as to whether only some hospitals accept the pill version.

Just anecdotally it seems they are not widely prescribed. When I got mine, I asked for them and they said they just didn’t do it. I didn’t really object though. But when I did it for my brother, I insisted. I had to pay for it out of pocket, but the pharmacy had a coupon, so it actually ended up being cheaper than the liquid stuff. So I would just say that if they give you any pushback, tell them that you really need the pills. I don’t see why a hospital wouldn’t do a scope based on the fact that you used pills.

 

[Lookinagain]

Kirstie was a Scientologist and they don’t believe they’ll get cancer and the only treatment they’re really allowed to do is homeopathic. I’m guessing she ignored symptoms and then refused traditional treatment.

Important PSA nonetheless.

I was wondering if this was part of what happened. I'm not sure we'll really ever know though.

 

[TooPatient]

Also keep in mind that my grandfather got his like clockwork. They still missed it until it was way too late. Diagnosed March 8. Died April 23. Monitor your blood work for issues too. If you see a sudden change in test results, push to know WHY. Don't just let them say it is in normal range so not a problem. Same with pain and other things. If the doctor says you are just getting old, fire them and find someone who will actually care.

 

[RMOO]

I’m curious about my prep for my pending scope. It will be the first time without the prescription liquid. This time I was instructed to get otc Miralax and dulcolax. And now the prep is split in half between night before and morning of procedure.

 

[MamaBee]

I’m curious about my prep for my pending scope. It will be the first time without the prescription liquid. This time I was instructed to get otc Miralax and dulcolax. And now the prep is split in half between night before and morning of procedure.

That’s a good one…You’ll be fine..Don’t drink anything red or purple during your fast the day before. Start eating low residue foods..no fiber at least three days before. Drink lots of clear fluids during your fast…no milk or anything with solids..

 

[nala]

Can I just vent here about Kaiser Permanente! I know a few people who have this insurance and who are ages 55, 56 and 57 and have all been told that as long as their color guard exam is negative, they have no need for a colonoscopy!! And they have never even had an colonoscopy. All three women swear that their doctor told them that!! And nag them as much as I do, they refuse to demand one bc they claim they are negative!! I’m so furious about this! I don’t know if all 3 are misunderstanding or trying to avoid the actual colonoscopy or if it is really the insurance!! They all get super defensive when I nag them.

 

[monarch64]

Can I just vent here about Kaiser Permanente! I know a few people who have this insurance and who are ages 55, 56 and 57 and have all been told that as long as their color guard exam is negative, they have no need for a colonoscopy!! And they have never even had an colonoscopy. All three women swear that their doctor told them that!! And nag them as much as I do, they refuse to demand one bc they claim they are negative!! I’m so furious about this! I don’t know if all 3 are misunderstanding or trying to avoid the actual colonoscopy or if it is really the insurance!! They all get super defensive when I nag them.

Cologuard seems to be BS. Sorry

 

[LilAlex]

Can I just vent here about Kaiser Permanente!

Cologuard or annual FIT? Both are "non-invasive" and look at stool.

This is a decent overview of the pros and cons:

Colon cancer screening decisions: What's the best option and when? - Harvard Health

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and rates are rising, particularly in younger people. It can be prevented with screening tests; there are...

www.health.harvard.edu

If you are high-risk, colonoscopy is the way to go. For others, there are personal factors involved. For example, I know of a lot of men who just say "No way!" But anything is better than nothing.

Flex sig is the worst of both worlds, imo -- you get the prep and discomfort but minus the conscious sedation and the confidence in the result. And if something is found, the operator is often not skilled enough to address it so you need a grown-up colonoscopy anyway. (Ask me how I know.)

The sedation now (with propofol) is amazing; the whole nuisance is just the prep.

 

[missy]

Cologuard or annual FIT? Both are "non-invasive" and look at stool.

This is a decent overview of the pros and cons:

Colon cancer screening decisions: What's the best option and when? - Harvard Health

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and rates are rising, particularly in younger people. It can be prevented with screening tests; there are...

www.health.harvard.edu

If you are high-risk, colonoscopy is the way to go. For others, there are personal factors involved. For example, I know of a lot of men who just say "No way!" But anything is better than nothing.

Flex sig is the worst of both worlds, imo -- you get the prep and discomfort but minus the conscious sedation and the confidence in the result. And if something is found, the operator is often not skilled enough to address it so you need a grown-up colonoscopy anyway. (Ask me how I know.)

The sedation now (with propofol) is amazing; the whole nuisance is just the prep.

Agree completely with your post. I will add that the skill of the physician doing the colonoscopy is of critical importance too.

What a shame Kirstie Alley died at the age of 71 from a curable disease. So sad.
My question is had she never had a colonoscopy til her colon cancer diagnosis?

This is an interesting case

https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2022/10002/S2252_A_Rare_Case_of_Duodenal_Adenocarcinoma.2252.aspx

I have been reluctant to get a colonoscopy and instead have been doing Cologuard for the past number of years. Which I know isn't as good as a colonoscopy. Cologuard has a low sensitivity to adenomas and isn't in the same league as a colonoscopy for cancer detection. I have my reasons for being reluctant to undergo a colonoscopy but every time I hear a story about someone who died from Colon cancer it makes me re-evaluate my decision.

There is not much recent research I can find about Cologuard in the medical literature. Just a few pieces of info and most of that from a few years ago.

Pandemic Spotlights In-home Colon Cancer Screening Tests

This article describes efforts to increase the use of in-home stool-based colon cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamanetwork.com

Emerging stool-based and blood-based non-invasive DNA tests for colorectal cancer screening: The importance of cancer prevention in addition to cancer detection

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can be undertaken utilizing a variety of distinct approaches, which provides both opportunities and confusion. Traditionally, there has often been a trade-off between the degree of invasiveness of a screening test and ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Colorectal Cancer Guideline | How Often to Have Screening Tests

Learn about colorectal cancer screening tests and at what age you should start them. Find out if you might be at high risk and may need a colonoscopy sooner.

www.cancer.org

The impact of increasing multitarget stool DNA use among colorectal cancer screeners in a self-insured US employer population - PubMed

<span><b>Background:</b> In the United States (US), colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With the majority of the US population covered by employer-based health plans, employers can play a critical role in increasing CRC screening adherence, which may...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

And yes to propofol. It's amazing stuff. I have had it numerous times and no ill effects afterwards.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Agree completely with your post. I will add that the skill of the physician doing the colonoscopy is of critical importance too.

What a shame Kirstie Alley died at the age of 71 from a curable disease. So sad.
My question is had she never had a colonoscopy til her colon cancer diagnosis?

This is an interesting case

https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2022/10002/S2252_A_Rare_Case_of_Duodenal_Adenocarcinoma.2252.aspx

I have been reluctant to get a colonoscopy and instead have been doing Cologuard for the past number of years. Which I know isn't as good as a colonoscopy. Cologuard has a low sensitivity to adenomas and isn't in the same league as a colonoscopy for cancer detection. I have my reasons for being reluctant to undergo a colonoscopy but every time I hear a story about someone who died from Colon cancer it makes me re-evaluate my decision.

There is not much recent research I can find about Cologuard in the medical literature. Just a few pieces of info and most of that from a few years ago.

Pandemic Spotlights In-home Colon Cancer Screening Tests

This article describes efforts to increase the use of in-home stool-based colon cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamanetwork.com

Emerging stool-based and blood-based non-invasive DNA tests for colorectal cancer screening: The importance of cancer prevention in addition to cancer detection

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can be undertaken utilizing a variety of distinct approaches, which provides both opportunities and confusion. Traditionally, there has often been a trade-off between the degree of invasiveness of a screening test and ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Colorectal Cancer Guideline | How Often to Have Screening Tests

Learn about colorectal cancer screening tests and at what age you should start them. Find out if you might be at high risk and may need a colonoscopy sooner.

www.cancer.org

The impact of increasing multitarget stool DNA use among colorectal cancer screeners in a self-insured US employer population - PubMed

<span><b>Background:</b> In the United States (US), colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With the majority of the US population covered by employer-based health plans, employers can play a critical role in increasing CRC screening adherence, which may...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

And yes to propofol. It's amazing stuff. I have had it numerous times and no ill effects afterwards.

The prep is the worst of it. Thanks to propofol you know nothing of the test! Don’t hesitate to schedule it if it would put your mind at ease. I think if folks realized that it wasn’t as bad as it sounds, they would be far more likely to have the procedure.

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

Also keep in mind that my grandfather got his like clockwork. They still missed it until it was way too late. Diagnosed March 8. Died April 23. Monitor your blood work for issues too. If you see a sudden change in test results, push to know WHY. Don't just let them say it is in normal range so not a problem. Same with pain and other things. If the doctor says you are just getting old, fire them and find someone who will actually care.

THIS!!! Do not be lulled into believing your colonoscopy is accurate. Trust your instincts about your body.

A woman, who routinely went for her colonoscopies but missed early 2021 due to covid concerns. She went to her family physician this January complaining of feeling of pressure and pain in the lower regions. Dr. said colonoscopy should be performed and it couldn't be scheduled until the end of March. Colonscopy went fine and she was given the all clear. She contacted her Dr. after about 3 weeks stating the pain she was feeling had gotten worse. Her physician sent her to a OB-GYN in the event it was some type of prolapse of the female organs. The woman had to wait another month for that appointment. An MRI was scheduled to take a look at what may be causing the issues. She then had to wait another length of time for the MRI to be performed. Long story short, she was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer after the first week of August! The OB-GYN looked back at the colonoscopy pictures and said, "there it is, it was missed". It was a large tumor that is now believed may have been missed even previously to the latest colonoscopy. By the time this was diagnosed, the patient needed such strong pain medication for the unbearable pain that Narcan was sent home with her family, if needed. She was then looking at long radiation treatments, chemo, colostomy and more chemo and even then, prognosis was not great.

Thankfully, her oncology team also applied to her insurance for use of a newly approved but very effective immunotherapy for her type of cancer. It was approved and within the first week of treatment, she was able to discontinue the pain medication and the tumor, at last check, had shrunk 70 to 80%. She will need to continue this immunotherapy for the rest of her life at this point and may still require radiation/surgery to remove remaining tumor elements. Time will tell what her future prognosis will be but the moral of this story is don't ignore symptoms that may be telling the true story.

 

[Mreader]

THIS!!! Do not be lulled into believing your colonoscopy is accurate. Trust your instincts about your body.

A woman, who routinely went for her colonoscopies but missed early 2021 due to covid concerns. She went to her family physician this January complaining of feeling of pressure and pain in the lower regions. Dr. said colonoscopy should be performed and it couldn't be scheduled until the end of March. Colonscopy went fine and she was given the all clear. She contacted her Dr. after about 3 weeks stating the pain she was feeling had gotten worse. Her physician sent her to a OB-GYN in the event it was some type of prolapse of the female organs. The woman had to wait another month for that appointment. An MRI was scheduled to take a look at what may be causing the issues. She then had to wait another length of time for the MRI to be performed. Long story short, she was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer after the first week of August! The OB-GYN looked back at the colonoscopy pictures and said, "there it is, it was missed". It was a large tumor that is now believed may have been missed even previously to the latest colonoscopy. By the time this was diagnosed, the patient needed such strong pain medication for the unbearable pain that Narcan was sent home with her family, if needed. She was then looking at long radiation treatments, chemo, colostomy and more chemo and even then, prognosis was not great.

Thankfully, her oncology team also applied to her insurance for use of a newly approved but very effective immunotherapy for her type of cancer. It was approved and within the first week of treatment, she was able to discontinue the pain medication and the tumor, at last check, had shrunk 70 to 80%. She will need to continue this immunotherapy for the rest of her life at this point and may still require radiation/surgery to remove remaining tumor elements. Time will tell what her future prognosis will be but the moral of this story is don't ignore symptoms that may be telling the true story.

That is very frightening. I did not know that something like that could be easily missed.

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

That is very frightening. I did not know that something like that could be easily missed.

Neither did she. Both she and her family were devastated by the late diagnosis. I only want everyone to be aware that colonoscopies aren't always 100% accurate. I would still highly recommend them routinely and to push for further testing if you are having issues.

 

[missy]

That is very frightening. I did not know that something like that could be easily missed.

A lot of this is due to the skill and care of the physician performing the colonoscopy. Why it’s critical to find a top notch caring health professional. Go to a gastroenterologist who is highly skilled and who is going to take his time doing your colonoscopy for a thorough evaluation