Kirstie Alley died after brief battle with colon cancer

2022-12-06

REVEALED: Cheers legend Kirstie Alley, 71, died after brief battle with colon cancer: Scientologist only ‘recently discovered’ she had silent killer disease and was receiving treatment in Florida

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
She had been receiving treatment at the Moffitt 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
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

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.

She had been receiving treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, near her home in Clearwater.

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

Alley had been receiving treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. It’s unclear how long she had been suffering with cancer before she was diagnosed

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.

Alley is shown in a 1986 episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She starred in dozens of movies and TV shows for decades

Alley’s film debut was in the 1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a favorite among fans of the series. She opted not to reprise her role as a Vulcan Starfleet officer in later films, saying she was offered less money for sequels than for the original role

Alley was cast in 1987 as Rebecca Howe on NBC’s iconic sitcom Cheers, which revolved around a group of friends and their main hangout, a Boston bar

Alley said she fell in love with Travolta while they were working together on Look Who’s Talking, in which they portrayed a pair of lovers raising a child – and that she remained in love with him long after

A foxy and leather-clad Alley starred alongside a very young Patrick Dempsey in the 1989 film Loverboy

Kirstie Alley with her second husband, Parker Stevenson, in 1983

Kirstie Alley with her kids William True and Lillie Price in 2005

Alley, a devout Scientologist, is pictured glammed down in Clearwater, Florida in 2021. The controversial religious group’s spiritual headquarters are in Clearwater. Throughout her life, Alley was a committed member of the group and donated millions of dollars to the organization that John Travolta and his late wife Kelly Preston also belonged

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,’ 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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