Latest news with #JamesvanderBeek
Mint
6 days ago
- Health
- Mint
'Dawson's Creek' actor James van der Beek opens up on surprise colon cancer diagnosis: 'Had cancer, didn't know it'
Actor James van der Beek has opened up about his shock colorectal cancer diagnosis and is urging others to take early screening seriously. The 48-year-old star, best known for his role in 'Dawson's Creek', was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2024. In a recent interview with Healthline, he shared that he had no obvious signs of illness before the diagnosis. 'I was healthy. I was doing cold plunges, I had great cardiovascular fitness – and yet, I had cancer and didn't know it,' he said. The only early symptom he noticed was a change in his bowel habits, which he believed at the time was due to drinking coffee. He later underwent a colonoscopy, which confirmed the cancer. 'I didn't even realise the screening age had dropped to 45,' van der Beek admitted. 'I thought it was still 50.' Doctors say this type of cancer often develops quietly. Professor Eitan Friedman, an oncologist in Israel, told Fox News Digital that changes in bowel movements can be the first warning sign. Other signs include fatigue, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, a drop in appetite, and stomach discomfort. Dr Erica Barnell, a specialist at Washington University School of Medicine, added that van der Beek's experience is not unusual. 'Many colorectal cancers grow silently, without clear symptoms. By the time someone notices anything, the cancer can already be advanced,' she said. Van der Beek's story is a reminder to take even small changes in your health seriously — and to speak to a doctor about screening, especially after age 45.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Actor with colorectal cancer shares simple sign that he ignored: ‘I had no idea'
James van der Beek has revealed the first warning sign of his colon cancer — and it's one that did not seem alarming at the time. The "Dawson's Creek" actor, 48, who announced his colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, recently told Healthline that "there wasn't any red flag or something glaring." "I was healthy. I was doing the cold plunge," he said. "I was in amazing cardiovascular shape, and I had stage 3 cancer, and I had no idea." Colorectal Cancer Diagnoses Soar Among Younger Adults For One Key Reason The one symptom that he did experience was a change in bowel movements, which the actor chalked up to an effect of his coffee consumption. "Before my diagnosis, I didn't know much about colorectal cancer," van der Beek said. "I didn't even realize the screening age [had] dropped to 45; I thought it was still 50." Read On The Fox News App He ultimately underwent a colonoscopy, which revealed that the actor had stage 3 colon cancer. Professor Eitan Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., an oncologist and founder of The Suzanne Levy-Gertner Oncogenetics Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, confirmed that changes in bowel habits is the primary red flag that should raise the suspicion of colorectal cancer. Others include fatigue as a result of anemia, blood in stool, weight loss, loss of appetite and abdominal discomfort, Friedman, who has not treated van der Beek, told Fox News Digital. Dr. Erica Barnell, M.D., Ph.D., a physician-scientist at Washington University School of Medicine — and co-founder and chief medical officer at Geneoscopy — noted that van der Beek's experience of having no "glaring" signs is common. "Many colorectal cancers develop silently, without obvious symptoms," Barnell, who also did not treat the actor, told Fox News Digital. "By the time symptoms appear, the disease may already be advanced." Symptoms are "especially worrisome" for those 45 and older who have at least one first-degree relative with colon cancer or other GI malignancies, and those with active inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, added Friedman, who is also an advisory board member at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath test to detect early-stage cancer signals. The overall chance of an average-risk person getting colorectal cancer over a lifetime is 4% to 5%, according to Friedman. "Colonoscopy at age 45 onwards, at five- to 10-year intervals, has been shown to lead to early detection of polyps that have the potential to become malignant, and to allow for their removal as an effective means of minimizing the risk of malignant transformation," he said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Unfortunately, Barnell noted, "screening compliance in the U.S. remains below national targets, and gaps are widest in rural, low-income and minority communities." To help close those gaps, she called for greater access to "accurate, noninvasive screening technologies," along with efforts to increase public awareness. "Most people don't like talking about bowel habits, but paying attention to changes can save your life," Barnell said. "Screening gives us the chance to find problems early — often before you feel sick — and that can make all the difference." For more Health articles, visit Fox News Digital reached out to van der Beek's representative for article source: Actor with colorectal cancer shares simple sign that he ignored: 'I had no idea' Solve the daily Crossword
