James Van Der Beek recently revealed that he is fighting colorectal cancer and talked about the diagnosis on Instagram.
“‘It’s cancer…’ Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the actor started in the post. “There’s no playbook for how to 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.”
Colorectal cancer occurs due to the growths in the colon’s inner lining. Early diagnosis through enhanced screening lowers the death rate, according to clinic reports.
“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,” Van Der Beek went on.
“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. Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support.”
James Van Der Beek rose to attention in the late 1990s and early 2000s, notably for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in ‘Dawson’s Creek.’ Through his diagnosis, the actor continued appearing in more projects.
He is currently working on two new productions, including the Tubi original film ‘Sidelined: The QB and Me,’ which is due for release later this month.
