James Van Der Beek Details Stage 3 Cancer Battle: 'Cautiously Optimistic'

James Van Der Beek is focused on his recovery after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

“I’m very cautiously optimistic. I’m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great,” Van Der Beek, 47, told People in an interview published on Friday, November 8. “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.”

Van Der Beek publicly confirmed his diagnosis earlier this month after privately undergoing an undisclosed form of treatment.

“If you’ve heard about it, I’ve probably touched on it,” the Dawson’s Creek alum 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.’”

James Van Der Beek Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer: 'I'm Feeling Good'

According to Van Der Beek, he had been navigating his diagnosis “in secret for a while” before issuing a public statement.

“In the past, I’ve found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly and I’ve found a lot of support that way,” he said. “But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness.”

James Van Der Beek and Kimberly Van Der Beek

Van Der Beek added, “I’d always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy — or as far as I knew it at the time.”

By 2023, the actor started noticing changes in his bowel movements that he chalked up to a dietary issue.

“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee,” Van Der Beek recalled to 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.’”

James Van Der Beek’s Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis: Expert Explains Disease

It was a subsequent colonoscopy procedure that confirmed the presence of cancer.

“I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I’d finally done it,” Van Der Beek added. “Then the gastroenterologist said, in his most pleasant bedside manner, that it was cancer. I think I went into shock.”

Throughout his health scare, Van Der Beek has been able to lean on his family. He has been married to wife Kimberly Van Der Beek since 2010 and they share six children: Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel,10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.