James Van Der Beek recently opened up about an early symptom of cancer that he initially overlooked due to its subtleness.
The actor, famous for his role in Dawson’s Creek, revealed last year that he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He shared this news publicly in November 2024 through a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the actor’s post read. “There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
He further elaborated, “I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”
The 48-year-old actor concluded his emotional message by expressing gratitude for the support he has received.
Van Der Beek, a father of six, has continued his professional endeavors following his diagnosis and was recently a contestant on the latest season of The Masked Singer.
In addition, he has taken on the mission of raising awareness about colorectal cancer screenings. He participated in The Real Full Monty, joining other male celebrities on stage to strip and highlight awareness not only for colorectal cancer but also for prostate and testicular cancers.
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“If we can do a strip tease in front of live audience, hopefully that will inspire people to go get checked,” Van Der Beek said in a trailer for the TV special.
Recently, in an interview with Healthline, the actor known for his role in One Tree Hill disclosed a symptom that preceded his diagnosis.
“There wasn’t any red flag or something glaring,” he admitted. “I was healthy. I was doing the cold plunge. I was in amazing cardiovascular shape, and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea.”
A subtle hint was minor changes in his bowel habits.
The American Cancer Society lists other symptoms of colorectal cancer, including rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain or cramping.
If you are experiencing any of these issues and need confidential support, reach out to the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or use their live chat feature available 24/7.