Lisa Koppel's death at 41 highlights the importance of colorectal cancer screening, particularly for people with family risk factors. Cancer is always tragic – but even more so when it is fatal and the person taken is young. We share the pain and grief of singer Daniel “Danny K” Koppel and his family on the loss of his wife Lisa to colorectal cancer after a three-year struggle. By making public the nature of Lisa’s illness, the family hopes that others will be encouraged to get screened for the cancer, especially if they are young and have a family history. Because colorectal cancer is more common in men than women, it often has a lower profile for women in South Africa – although it is the fifth-most common cancer for them.