Earlier this month, Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek, 47, became the latest celebrity to use his platform to shine a light on cancer awareness—specifically colorectal cancer, which is increasingly impacting otherwise healthy people under the age of 55.
Van Der Beek revealed on social media he’d been privately battling stage 3 colorectal cancer after noticing a change last year that prompted him to seek medical attention. He decided to share his story to not only highlight the surprising, yet common, symptom that led him to a diagnosis, but his realization that youth wouldn’t preclude him from getting the disease.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Van Der Beek’s stage 3 colorectal cancer symptom
- How Van Der Beek is managing his diagnosis
- Colorectal cancer symptoms to know
- Lowering your colorectal cancer risk
If you are experiencing cancer symptoms or have been diagnosed with cancer and are interested in getting a second opinion, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
Van Der Beek’s stage 3 colorectal cancer symptom
Just prior to his diagnosis, Van Der Beek had no reason to suspect he had cancer. He was 46 years old, had no family history of the disease and he took care of himself through diet and exercise, he told People magazine.
Still, when Van Der Beek noticed a change in his bowel movements, he realized something was off. He assumed the culprit was coffee and cut the drink from his diet. But irregularities remained, so he called his doctor.
After a colonoscopy, Van Der Beek told People he wasn’t worried: “I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I’d finally done it. Then the gastroenterologist said—in his most pleasant bedside manner—that it was cancer. I think I went into shock.”
Van Der Beek said he’d always associated cancer with age and with a sedentary lifestyle. “I was in amazing cardiovascular shape,” he told the magazine. “I tried to eat healthy—or as far as I knew it at the time.”
Age and colorectal cancer diagnosis
Many people think of cancer as a disease of old age, but trends indicate that is no longer the case with many cancers, including some of the most common.
A 2022 study, in fact, identified 14 cancers that are now diagnosed with greater frequency in adults who haven’t turned 50 yet. They include:
What’s more, some of the highest increases are in younger patients with colorectal cancer.
While cases and deaths of the disease have declined overall, especially among older adults, diagnoses have increased dramatically among young adults. An American Cancer Society (ACS) report released last year indicated that the rate of new colorectal cancer cases among Americans younger than 55 years increased from 11 percent of all cases in 1995 to 20 percent in 2019.
Also, the report found that 60 percent of new cases diagnosed in 2019 were advanced-stage cancer, compared to 57 percent in 1995.
The report also found:
- Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer deaths for American men between the ages of 20 and 49, according to the National Cancer Institute
- The average age of a patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer fell from 72 in 2001-02 to 66 in 2015-19
The death of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 was one of the initial wake-up calls to young men and women who may have thought of colorectal cancer as an old-person’s disease. And while African Americans are still more likely than whites to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, early-onset disease is affecting more non-Hispanic white Americans than African Americans.
How Van Der Beek is managing his diagnosis
Although Van Der Beek told People he wasn’t ready to share specific details about his medical regimen yet, he did say, “If you’ve heard about it, I’ve probably touched on it.”
According to the ACS, treatment for colorectal cancer varies based on the stage of the disease, but can include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery or a combination of therapies.
Because of the digestive tract’s role in processing food and waste, nutrition therapy is also often a key component of colorectal cancer care. Many patients with the disease have difficulty with digestive function and need help managing disease- and treatment-related side effects, such as nausea and vomiting.
But Toufic Kachaamy, MD, a gastroenterologist and Chief of Medicine at City of Hope® Cancer Center Phoenix, says young people with colorectal cancer often need more than just medical care or physical side effect management. Many seek help to heal emotional scars and to cope with their diagnosis while being—at the same time—students, parents and caregivers to older adults. They may require sensitivity toward issues that might be more important to them, like preserving fertility, sexual health and coping with the financial burden cancer may cause.
“Young adults often have a more challenging landscape than older adults diagnosed with cancer,” he says. “When you’re 40 and get cancer, there’s a good chance that you’ve never been sick before. One day, you’re out to dinner or a party, the next thing you know, you’re on chemotherapy.”
As Van Der Beek told People: “This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body and spirit. I thought, ‘This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.’”
Colorectal cancer symptoms to know
Changes in bowel movements may have been Van Der Beek’s first colorectal cancer symptom, but it’s certainly not the only sign of the disease.
Other symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
- Abdominal bloating, cramps or discomfort
- Alternating diarrhea and constipation
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
- Stools that are thinner than normal
- Unexplained weight loss
Awareness of these symptoms and their potential link to colorectal cancer is important, Dr. Kachaamy says, especially because many of them are often overlooked by young patients. That’s because of young patients’ age, in part, but also because symptoms like blood in the stool can be attributed to other causes, like digestive issues or hemorrhoids.
“Younger patients tend to have a lot of reserves, and their symptoms might persist for a long time before they lead them to seek medical care,” he says. “Symptoms such as bleeding, change in stool caliber and bowel habits and/or frequency should alert someone to discuss it with their clinical provider.”
Lowering your colorectal cancer risk
Prompted by the increase in colorectal cancer among younger people, the ACS now recommends adults at average or low risk get screened for colorectal cancer starting at age 45 instead of 50, the previous recommendation.
In addition to screening, Dr. Kachaamy recommends the following behaviors to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer:
Exercising: Even a modest amount of physical activity each week may improve your overall wellness.
Following a healthy diet: A diet high in fiber, lean protein, fruits and vegetables may help promote healthy gut bacteria, which has been shown to reduce cancer risk.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Obesity is a known risk factor for many cancers, including those of the colon, rectum, breast and pancreas.
Not smoking: Smoking not only increases the risk of pulmonary cancers, the carcinogens in tobacco smoke travel through the bloodstream and may increase the risk of digestive tract cancers, as well.
If you are experiencing cancer symptoms or have been diagnosed with cancer and are interested in getting a second opinion, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
