James Van Der Beek diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer.

Actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his role as Dawson in Dawson’s Creek, has revealed he was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer back in 2023.

Despite being in excellent shape and having no family history of the disease, Van Der Beek noticed subtle changes in his health that led him to seek medical advice.

Initially attributing irregular bowel movements to his coffee consumption, he cut it from his diet – but the symptoms persisted. A colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis, leaving the actor in shock.

He told People “I thought, I probably need to change my diet a little bit. Maybe I need to stop coffee. Maybe I need to not put cream in the coffee. And then I finally took that out of the diet, and it didn’t improve, and I thought, all right, I better go get this checked out.”

When he went in for the procedure, he wasn’t worried. But as he came out of anaesthesia, the gastroenterologist told him it was cancer.

Van Der Beek shared his story to raise awareness, emphasising that youth and a healthy lifestyle don’t guarantee immunity. “I was in amazing cardiovascular shape,” he told People. “I tried to eat healthy—or as far as I knew it at the time”.

The actor’s first symptom – a change in bowel habits – is one of the most common early signs of bowel cancer (colorectal cancer). Other symptoms include abdominal pain, a lump in the stomach or rectum, alternating diarrhea and constipation, blood in your poo, on toilet paper or in the toilet bowl, thinner stools, and unexplained tiredness or weight loss.

Van Der Beek’s diagnosis serves as a powerful reminder to pay attention to subtle changes in the body and to get screened early.

Australians can now obtain a free bowel screening test from age 45 and the American Cancer Society also now recommends colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45.

Since going public with his diagnosis, Van Der Beek has become a passionate advocate for cancer awareness. He joined a group of male celebrities for The Real Full Monty, a televised strip-tease special, inspired by the Full Monty movie, aimed at raising awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer. The show encouraged men to get screened and helped break down stigma around these diseases. “If we can do the strip tease in front of a live audience, hopefully, that will inspire people to go get checked,” Van Der Beek said.

To access our free symptom checker visit: www.trustyourgut.com.au

To order your free bowel screening kit (age 45-49) or to re-order a lost or expired kit click here.