James Van Der Beek urged fans not to ignore a specific symptom of colorectal cancer before his death on Wednesday, February 11, at the age of 48.
In a resurrected interview from November 2024, Van Der Beek revealed people that there was an indicator for his eventual stage III colorectal cancer didn’t think much of it when it first happened.
“It was just a change in bowel habits,” she said as she spoke publicly about her diagnosis for the first time. “I thought, I should probably change my diet a little bit. Maybe I should stop (drinking) coffee. Maybe I should not put cream in my coffee.” (Colorectal cancer begins in the longest part of the large intestine, called the colon, which contributes to bowel habits.)
The Dawson’s Creek The actor noted, “Then I finally took it out of the diet and it didn’t get any better, and I thought, OK, I better go get it checked out.”
James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2024, but what does the disease entail? “Colorectal cancer is a cancer that arises in the colon or the rectum,” gastroenterologist Roshini Raj exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2024. “So it’s part of your large intestine.” In February 2026, Van Der Beek died (…)
When Van Der Beek had a routine colonoscopy in August 2023, he recalled feeling “very, very good when I came out of anesthesia that I had finally done it and looked at it.”
But that feeling of happiness soon faded when he heard his diagnosis. “And when I was coming out of the fog, the gastroenterologist said, in his nicest bedside manner, that it’s cancer,” Van Der Beek recalled.
The Varsity Blues star noted that he was “very healthy” and in “amazing cardiovascular shape” when he discovered the cancer. Once she knew what she was up against, Van Der Beek changed her already healthy diet, something she thought more people should implement as a precautionary measure.
James Van Der Beek and Paul Walker in ‘Varsity Blues’.
Everett Collection“I think the country is waking up to connecting with our food and recognizing how much is processed and how far it has strayed from the way nature intended,” he explained. “I would encourage everyone to do the same because this is not a fun process.”
Van Der Beek he warned at the time: “I think there are a lot of assumptions that we’ve all grown up with about what’s healthy and what’s not. And I think we’d all do well to discard those assumptions.”
When it comes to her routine, Van Der Beek said she avoids processed foods, gluten and dairy, and only eats organic vegetables from her garden. He told the outlet that he exercised regularly and prioritized his mental health.
James Van Der Beek was candid about his battle with colorectal cancer before his death in 2026. “Every year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” the Dawson’s Creek alum shared in an Instagram post at the time, noting that he was “in a good place and feeling (…)
Van Der Beek also urged people in December 2025 to get screened for colon cancer at age 45, noting that it wasn’t screened until 46. (The age doctors suggest adults get a colonoscopy and screening went from 50 to 45 in 2018).
“If anyone takes anything away from this interview, it would be to get tested, talk to your doctor,” Van Der Beek said during his latest interview with today show
According to Dr. Peter Stanicha gastroenterologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and Wexner Medical Center, there has been an increase in this type of cancer in otherwise healthy younger adults.
“We know that colorectal cancer has increased in young people, and it’s not exactly clear why,” said Stanich, who was not involved in Van der Beek’s study. Women’s World on Thursday, February 12.
James Van Der Beek shared an uplifting message about his cancer diagnosis just two months before he died at the age of 48 on Wednesday, February 11. “As soon as I heard the news (about my colorectal cancer diagnosis), I went into shock,” Van Der Beek admitted to TODAY’s Craig Melvin on Dec. 19, 2025, in which…
The doctor explained: “Part of this is probably due to increased obesity and changes in diets over time, but many people are still looking into the cause of this,” calling the increase in younger patients a “worrying trend.”
Stanich noted that as The case of Van Der Beekchanges in bowel movements or abdominal pain should be discussed with a doctor.
“Many colorectal cancers do not cause symptoms, which is why it is so important to get the recommended screening test at the recommended age (45),” he added.
Van Der Beek, meanwhile, fought his cancer more than two years before he died on Wednesday.
James Van Der Beek, Kimberly Van Der Beek.
Courtesy of James Van Der Beek/Instagram“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith and grace,” his family wrote in a statement on Instagram. “There is much to share about his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we mourn our beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”
Since then, fans and celebrities alike have rallied around James’ wife, Kimberly Van Der Beekand their six children, beginning a GoFundMe page to help with remaining medical expenses and other costs after your death.
So have James’ fans and co-stars honored his legacy with tributes to the late actor. James’ old Dancing with the stars partner Emma Slater she wrote via social media: “I am so devastated. He is and always will be family to me. I love you so much James. The man you are, you can be proud. So thankful I got to say goodbye to you.”
Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson in “Dawson’s Creek.”
Sony Pictures/Everett Collectionhis Dawson’s Creek to cost Katie Holmes, wrote a handwritten letter to James which he shared via Instagram on Thursday.
“James, thank you. Sharing space with your imagination is sacred – breathing the same air in the land of imagination and trusting that each other’s hearts are safe in their expression,” Holmes, 47, wrote in part. “These are some of the memories, along with laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs, adventures of a unique youth…”
He went on to describe James’ life as one of: “Courage. Compassion. Selflessness. Strength. Gratitude for life and the action taken to live life with the integrity that life is art – creating a beautiful marriage, six loving children – a hero’s journey.”