What Kind of Cancer Did James Van Der Beek Have? A Deep Dive Into His Health Issues

The news of James Van Der Beek‘s death at the age of 48 has rocked Hollywood. The Varsity Blues star died on February 11 after more than two years battling cancer.

He first shared his diagnosis in a November 3, 2024, Instagram post. “I’m in a good place and feeling strong,” he said. “It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”

News of his death was confirmed by his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, whom he shared six children with, on Instagram.

“Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning,” Kimberly wrote. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace. There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity, and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

Scroll down for everything we know about James’ health before his death.

What kind of cancer was James Van Der Beek diagnosed with?

Van Der Beek was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, which is a “growth of cells that begins in a part of the large intestine called the colon,” according to Mayo Clinic. He received his diagnosis in August 2023, but did not share the news publicly until more than a year later in November 2024.

“I really didn’t feel like this was gonna end me,” Van Der Beek said in an interview with People at the time. “I really felt like, ‘This is gonna be the biggest life redirect. I’m gonna make changes that I never would have made otherwise that I’m gonna look back on in a year, five years, 30 years from now and say, ‘Thank God that happened.’ And that’s how I was about 90% of the time. And then, 10% of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess.”

While celebrating his 48th birthday in March 2025, Van Der Beek admitted that he “came nose to nose with death” throughout the year prior.

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A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames)

In his last interview before his death, Van Der Beek told Today‘s Craig Melvin in December 2025 that he was feeling “much, much better” than he was a few months prior (he skipped the Dawson’s Creek reunion while battling two stomach viruses in September 2025).

“It’s been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be,” Van Der Beek admitted. “It’s required more of me — more patience, more discipline, more strength than I knew I had. I knew I was strong, I didn’t know I was this strong. But I feel good.”

What were James Van Der Beek’s symptoms?

Van Der Beek told People that a “change in bowel movements” was the main symptom he experienced. He admitted that there was nothing “glaring” and no “red flags.” In fact, at first, he thought, “I probably just need to change my diet a little bit. Maybe I need to stop coffee. Maybe I need to not put cream in the coffee.”

However, when he did change his diet and things didn’t improve, he got checked out and had a colonoscopy done. Right after the procedure, while Van Der Beek was still coming out of his anesthesia haze, the doctor told him he had cancer.

What treatment did James Van Der Beek have?

Van Der Beek never actually specified what treatments he had during his cancer battle, although he did note in his announcement post that he was “getting treatment” at the time. In his March 2025 birthday update, he gave some more insight, adding, “I was away for treatment so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife. I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them.”

Van Der Beek also shared that he changed his diet after learning the news that he had cancer. The Dawson’s Creek star told People in 2024 that he was avoiding processed foods, as well as gluten and dairy. He was also focusing on eating organic vegetables and exercising as regularly as possible.

What did James Van Der Beek learn from his cancer diagnosis?

After receiving his diagnosis, Van Der Beek became an advocate for preventive healthcare and early screening for colon cancer. In December 2024, he appeared in a Fox special that featured celebrities stripping down to raise awareness for testicular, colorectal, and prostate cancer.

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“I’m the one telling all my friends to talk to their doctor, find out about screening options,” he told HealthLine in 2025.

The actor noted that “adherence to colonoscopy recommendation” isn’t great, but still noted that it’s the “gold standard” for colon cancer screening. However, he recommended the Shield test as an alternative, revealing that it’s a “convenient, simple, FDA approved” blood draw that can screen for the disease.

“Even just the slightest little change, it could be something,” he said in an interview with Today.com. “Don’t think that not having symptoms means you don’t have to get screened, especially for something that is this curable when caught early. That’s really what I want to get across. I ate as well as I could. I was healthy. I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. There was no reason in my mind that I should have gotten a positive diagnosis.”