Actor James Van Der Beek is sharing his journey after publicly disclosing his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis at the age of 46. “I’ve been managing this largely in private for some time, and in the past, I’ve found it beneficial and therapeutic to discuss things openly,” Van Der Beek, 47, told PEOPLE for their latest cover story. “I’ve received a lot of support that way. But more importantly, I wanted to increase awareness.” The former “Dawson’s Creek” star hopes that speaking out about his experience will help raise awareness about colorectal cancer, a disease that is becoming increasingly prevalent among adults under 55.
“That’s a key reason I’m talking about it so openly,” Van Der Beek said. Although he hasn’t provided many specifics about his current health or recovery stages, Van Der Beek says he’s feeling positive about his current condition. “I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m in a healing phase, and my energy levels are excellent. When I’m fully out of the woods for a reasonable period, I’ll update you,” he shared. “I have so much to live for.”
Recent studies from the American Cancer Society (ACS) indicate that colorectal cancer is “rapidly progressing to more advanced stages and affecting younger individuals,” with diagnoses among those under 55 doubling from 11-20% between 1995 and 2019. “We know rates are rising in young people, but it’s alarming to see how quickly the patient demographic is shifting younger, despite overall population declines,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society. “The trend toward more advanced disease across all age groups is also surprising and should prompt everyone aged 45 and older to get screened.”
Van Der Beek admitted he wasn’t anticipating this diagnosis, given that he always took good care of his body and had no known family history of cancer. “I’d always linked cancer with age and unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in fantastic cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthily—or as much as I knew at the time,” he explained. Van Der Beek noticed changes in his bowel habits during the summer of 2023 and initially attributed it to his diet. “I thought maybe I needed to cut out coffee,” the actor recalled. “Or perhaps not add cream to my coffee. But when I made those changes and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘I better get this checked out.’”
Van Der Beek said he “felt great coming out of anesthesia” after a colonoscopy, only to be shocked when his gastroenterologist informed him he had cancer. Although he didn’t elaborate, the actor began treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy to combat the disease. “This has been a steep learning curve in mastering mind, body, and spirit,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of my body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’” He added that maintaining a positive outlook is challenging in such a difficult situation. “The hardest part is the many unknowns with cancer,” he noted. “You wonder, ‘How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?’ As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the toughest things.”
The actor currently resides on a ranch in Texas with his wife, Kimberly, 42, and their six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3. His wife expressed her support after he apologized for keeping his cancer diagnosis secret for so long from loved ones. “Apologies to everyone in my life I planned to tell myself. Nothing about this process has happened on my preferred timeline,” Van Der Beek wrote on social media. “But we adapt, taking each surprise as a signpost pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.” Kimberly commented on her husband’s post, writing, “I love you baby ♥️” Kimberly also shared a throwback photo with her husband and wrote, “We were babies. So much life lived since then. Grateful for it all,” just days before his public announcement.
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