James Van Der Beek has opened up about being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer at the age of 46. The father-of-six lives with with wife Kimberly, 42 and their children on a ranch in Texas and he wants to raise awareness about a disease that is becoming more common in middle-aged adults. At first, he thought perhaps that his diet was to blame. “I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee,” he told People. “Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out.’”After his 2023 diagnosis, the Dawson’s Creek actor underwent treatment and now says that he’s feeling good. “I’m very cautiously optimistic. I’m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great,” he said. “When I’ve been out of the woods completely for what feels like a responsible amount of time, I’ll circle back and let you know. I have a lot to live for.”
