Kirstie Alley died after brief battle with colon cancer

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 cancerHer family said she had only 'recently' discovered the illnessThe 71-year-old had been receiving treatment at the Moffatt Cancer Center in TampaColon cancer is known to be a silent killer because symptoms often don't present themselves until a patient is beyond a cure Alley's Cheers co-stars led tributes to her on Monday after her death She also enjoyed a long friendship with fellow Scientologist John Travolta 

By Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 08:28 EST, 6 December 2022 | Updated: 08:53 EST, 6 December 2022

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 

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.' 

Colon cancer is known as a silent killer around the world because symptoms often don't present themselves until a patient is beyond a cure. 

Only a third of patients are diagnosed in stage one - when the cancer is 90 percent curable. It's unclear what stage Alley's cancer had progressed to. 

Alley led a colorful life off-camera, committing herself for decades to the Church of Scientology and having public spats with other stars. 

John Travolta led tributes to the actress on social media on Monday night after her family confirmed the sad news of her death. 

'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. 

Ted Danson, who was a mainstay in the NBC sitcom, said he was on a flight yesterday and by chance decided to watch an episode of Cheers starring Alley before he learned of her death, in which she is proposed to by Tom Berenger.

He told People: 'Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny.

'She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died.

'I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.'

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 bottomBlood in stoolsA change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeksUnexplained weight lossExtreme, unexplained tirednessAbdominal pain

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

Are over 50Have a family history of the conditionHave a personal history of polyps in their bowelSuffer from inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's diseaseLead 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.

Source: dailymail.co.uk