James van Der Beek revealed his first warning sign for colon cancer – which didn’t seem shocking at the time.
The 48-year-old Dawson Creek actor announced his colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, recently told Healthline that “there is no dangerous flag or something with glare.”
“I'm healthy. I'm doing a cold war,” he said. “My cardiovascular shape is amazing and I have stage 3 cancer, I don't know.”
Colorectal cancer diagnosis soars among young people, and there is a key reason
One symptom he does encounter is a change in bowel movement, and the actor paints it as the impact of coffee consumption.
“I didn’t know much about colorectal cancer before the diagnosis,” said Van der Beek. “I didn’t even realize the age of screening,” said Van der Beek. [had] It dropped to 45; I thought it was still 50. ”
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He eventually had a colonoscopy, which showed the actor had stage 3 colon cancer.
James van Der Beek revealed his first warning sign for colon cancer – which didn’t seem shocking at the time.
Professor Eitan Friedman, MD, PhD, oncologist and founder, at the Suzanne Levy-Gertner tumor genetics unit at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, confirming changes in intestinal habits are the main red flags that should increase suspected colorectal cancer.
Others include fatigue due to anemia, blood in the stool, weight loss, loss of appetite and abdominal discomfort, Friedman, who has not been treated yet, told Fox News Digital.
Erica Barnell, MD, Physician, Physician at the University of Washington School of Medicine, co-founder and chief medical officer of genetic scopy, noted that Van der Beek's experiences with no signs of “glare”.
“Many colorectal cancers develop silently without obvious symptoms,” Barnel, who also did not treat the actor, told Fox News figures. “By the time the symptoms appear, the disease may have already been.”
The 48-year-old Dawson Creek actor announced his colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, recently told Healthline that “there is no dangerous flag or something with glare.”
Symptoms are “especially worrisome” for those 45 and older who have at least one first-degree relative with colon cancer or other GI malignancy, and those with active inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, added Friedman, who is also an advice board member at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath test to detect early-stage cancer signals.
Friedman said the overall chance of developing colorectal cancer in a lifetime is 4 to 5%.
“The colonoscopy at the age of 45 has been shown to be detected at five to 10 years of intervals, and polyps with malignant tumors can be detected early and allowed to be removed as an effective means to minimize the risk of malignant conversion,” he said.
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Unfortunately, Banell noted: “Screen compliance in the United States remains below national targets, and in rural, low-income and minority communities, the gap is the largest.”
To help close these gaps, she called for more access to “accurate, noninvasive screening technologies” while working to raise public awareness.
“The colonoscopy at 45 years of age, at five to 10 years intervals, has been shown to lead to early detection of polyps that have the potential to become malignant and allow them to be removed as an effective means to minimize the risk of malignant conversion.”
“Most people don't like talking about gut habits, but paying attention to changes can save your life,” Barnel said. “Screening gives us a chance to find problems early (usually before you feel uncomfortable), which can make everything change.”
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Fox News Digital approached the comments with Van der Beek representatives.
Original article source: The Colorectal Cancer Actor Shares Simple Signs He Needs: “I Don't Know”