LOS ANGELES — James Van Der Beek shared that he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The “Dawson’s Creek” star posted a statement about his health update on Instagram on Sunday after first revealing the news to People.
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“‘It is cancer...’ Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis,” he wrote. “And I’m one of them.”
He went on to explain his decision to share the news over the weekend.
“There’s no playbook for how announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon … to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms,” he continued. “But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
Van Der Beek wrote he has “been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before.”
Despite the health update, he shared that he feels hopeful about the future and apologized to those in his life who learned the news from the press.
“I’m in a good place and feeling strong,” he wrote. “It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready. Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline. … But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”
“Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support,” he concluded. “More to come.”
In the post, he also shared a video montage of photos of himself, as well as one image with one of his kids, set to the song “Autumn Breeze” by Richard LaForge.
ABC News has reached out to his representative for comment.
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Colorectal cancer begins in the colon or rectum, often referred to as colon or rectal cancer based on its location, according to the American Cancer Society, which added that most cases start as polyps — growths on the inner lining of these organs — that become more common with age. For that reason, regular screenings with colonoscopies can not only help detect colorectal cancer, but can help prevent it, too, since a polyp can take as many as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer.
In addition to being an actor, Van Der Beek is very much a family man. He is a father to six kids, whom he shares with wife, Kimberly.
The actor regularly shares updates of his family on his social media platform.
In an Instagram post last week, Van Der Beek is pictured dressed up in a pirate costume while sharing his favorite moment during his Halloween celebration with his family.
“I made all my own costumes growing up,” he wrote in the caption. “Didn’t really have a choice. But I loved it. Should probably have been the first warning sign to my parents that I would end up an actor 😂.”
He continued, “But in a SPIRIT HALLOWEEN world… my six year-old was devastated that her angel costume would not arrive in time for trick-or-treating. After acknowledging the tears, she was given the project of making her own halo, which she worked on for HOURS - wrapping yellow yarn around some garden wire. Focused in a way might not have believed possible. And the look of pride on her face upon seeing the final project in the mirror was, for me… my favorite moment of Halloween. 🎃.”
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Earlier this year, Van Der Beek shared his proud moment as a dad when his daughter Olivia sang Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” on the television show, “We Are Family,” which showcases non-famous relatives of celebrities performing duets with their hidden famous family members.
“I’m a very proud papa tonight. My first-born daughter was on ‘We Are Family’ tonight on Fox,” he said in an Instagram video at the time before sharing behind-the-scenes clips, which included sweet moments with Olivia in her first-ever trailer on set, her rehearsal with producers, and Van Der Beek singing along with his daughter as he watched the feed from backstage.
“So proud of my baby girl,” he wrote in the caption. “And I call her that because when I watched her tonight, all I could see was the newborn in the bassinet who I could not stop looking at in awe.”
Amid the diagnosis, Van Der Beek remains active in his career, recently appearing in an episode of “Walker” and soon to star in “Sidelines: The QB and Me,” a Tubi original film premiering Nov. 29.
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