American actress Kirstie Alley has passed away from recently diagnosed colon cancer. His case shocked the world of entertainment for the suddenness of the news.
This also raises the question of how we can detect the early signs of the disease. Considering that we are facing one of the most frequent causes of death in the world for cancer reasons, the concern of the population is well founded.
Statistical data has even led the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to do so beyond the recommended age to start colorectal cancer screening. The limit has dropped from 50 to 45 years.
Why was the colon cancer screening age brought forward?
Kirstie Alley died at age 71 of colon cancer without too much time to carry out adequate treatment. Although his age was in the highest risk range, it must be taken into account that cases among the youngest have increased in recent times.
These point data have led to the advancement of the age of monitoring. In the United States, nearly 53,000 people died from this disease in 2021. Therefore, the pathology is positioned as third cause of death in men and women.
However, the significant fact is that more than 10% of newly detected cases occurred in people under the age of 50. In statistical terms, colon cancer has increased by 15% among adults between the ages of 40 and 49.
How to suspect the disease in advance?
Early suspicion of colon cancer is not easy. Many of its symptoms are general and are even confused with mundane conditions. It is normal for them to be overlooked.
Kirstie Alley colon cancer has made headlines the plight of those patients who are detected late. This reduces survival.
According to a Annual Report 2021Half of these cancers are detected when the person has obvious symptoms. This results in advanced cancer, but also possible metastases. Those who are diagnosed in the early stages they are almost 90% curable with surgery alonewhich spares them chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
So clearly, early detection is the way. Now, to consult, you must first suspect that something is wrong. And for this the following symptoms can guide us.
Changes in bowel habits
If you are someone with a tendency to chronic constipation and suddenly start having diarrhea for several days, you should be suspicious. The same if it happens the other way around.
These changes need to be persistent to signal risk. It is usually not an acute change, as occurs with infectious diarrhea. A dietary origin must also be excluded.
bleeding with stool
The emission of blood during defecation should always alert us. While it most often has a benign cause, which is usually hemorrhoids or anal fissures, its persistence requires investigation.
Blood may appear as a bright red droplet. This denotes fresh, recent bleeding, possibly from the lower intestine.
On the contrary, dark blood mixed with stool comes from the upper intestines. It has traveled through the digestive tract and undergone changes in its composition, which is why it does not appear as red.
There is also hidden blood in the stool. It is one that is only detected when stool is analyzed under a microscope. The patient does not see it, but it is diagnosed at the doctor’s request.
Feeling of not having defecated enough
It may happen that you feel that you have not evacuated the entire intestine, despite going to the bathroom several times. Although a subjective sign, it is often associated with colon cancer.
This occurs because the mobility of the digestive tract is impaired by the tumor and because there are obstructions in the path of the rectal lumen. Then, when the fecal matter doesn’t come out completely, acknowledge that you would go to the bathroom again, despite having just left.
unexplained weight loss
Losing weight without any explanation is always cause for suspicion. It may indicate a chronic infectious disease (such as tuberculosis), a systemic syndrome (such as AIDS), or a malignancy (such as colon cancer).
Diets, changes in habits and increased physical activity are to be excluded. If none of this has appeared as new in our life and we are still losing pounds, we should go for a consultation.
Weight loss from cancer has various explanations. There are metabolic changes that accelerate calorie burning. However, in digestive cancers, local processes also occur that prevent the proper absorption of nutrients.
Kirstie Alley passed away from colon cancer that was not detected in time
The news of the colon cancer that Kirstie Alley has been unable to successfully fight it should remind us of the importance of early diagnosis. There are various tests available that a doctor will order when a patient arrives for the office.
Fecal occult blood, stool DNA testing, traditional colonoscopy, and virtual colonoscopy are tools to improve prognosis. But first we need to pay attention to our body and the signals it may be sending us.
The post Kirstie Alley: The Early Signs of Colon Cancer You Need to Know first appeared in Mejor Con Salud.