James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal (colon) cancer after noticing persistent changes in his bowel movements and then undergoing a colonoscopy, which revealed the cancer.

How Did James Van Der Beek Get Diagnosed?

The First Warning Signs

James Van Der Beek has said that his diagnosis story really began with a small but persistent change in his bathroom habits.

He initially thought it might just be his coffee or diet and even tried cutting out coffee to see if things would go back to normal.

When those bowel changes didn’t improve, he realized it wasn’t just a random issue and decided it was time to get checked by a doctor.

Importantly, he did not have a strong family history and considered himself very health‑conscious, which made the eventual news even more shocking.

The Colonoscopy And Diagnosis

Doctors recommended a colonoscopy, which is the standard test that lets specialists look directly at the colon for polyps or tumors.

During this procedure, they found cancer, and when he woke up from anesthesia he was told that the results showed colorectal cancer.

He has described going into shock when he heard the word “cancer,” because he had finally gone in thinking he was just being cautious and doing the responsible thing.

The final diagnosis was stage 3 colorectal cancer, meaning it had spread to nearby lymph nodes but not to distant organs.

Timeline And Context

Van Der Beek’s symptoms and testing occurred in 2023, when he was in his mid‑40s.

He qualified for routine colon cancer screening at 45 but has said he didn’t get screened right away because of life logistics and not realizing guidelines had shifted down from age 50 to 45.

He later went public with the diagnosis in an interview in late 2024, after he had already been in treatment for over a year.

Since then, he has spoken in multiple interviews about how the experience changed his outlook on life, family, and self‑care.

What He Says Now About Screening

After his diagnosis, James Van Der Beek has used his platform to push people—especially those in their 40s—to take screening seriously and not brush off subtle symptoms.

He’s partnered with companies working on newer blood‑based screening tools (like the Shield test) while still emphasizing that colonoscopy is the definitive way to diagnose colon cancer.

He often highlights that having a healthy lifestyle doesn’t make you immune and that “small” changes in bowel habits can sometimes be early signals of something serious.

Quick Facts Recap

  • Initial clue: Ongoing changes in bowel movements.
  • First reaction: Blamed coffee/diet and tried lifestyle tweaks.
  • Key step: Went to a doctor and had a colonoscopy.
  • Result: Stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis at age 46.
  • Public reveal: Shared story with outlets like People and USA Today in late 2024 and 2025.
  • Ongoing message: Don’t ignore subtle symptoms; get screened starting in your mid‑40s if you can.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.