James Van Der Beek’s death highlights alarming colon cancer rise in younger adults

Following histrion James Van Der Beek's decease aft a 2-½-year conflict with colon cancer, experts are informing of the disease's prevalence among younger people.

The "Dawson’s Creek" prima announced his signifier 3 colon crab diagnosis successful November 2024, though helium was officially diagnosed successful August 2023 aft a colonoscopy.

In an August 2025 diagnostic with Healthline, Van Der Beek revealed the archetypal informing motion of colon crab was a alteration successful bowel movements, which helium chalked up to an effect of drinking coffee.

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"Before my diagnosis, I didn’t cognize overmuch astir colorectal cancer," the histrion said. "I didn’t adjacent recognize the screening property [had] dropped to 45; I thought it was inactive 50."

Following histrion James Van Der Beek's decease aft a 2-½-year conflict with colon cancer, experts are informing of the disease's prevalence among younger people. (Ray Tamarra/GC Images)

Risk connected the rise

Recent probe has shown an alarming emergence successful colorectal crab (CRC) cases among younger individuals.

The American Cancer Society published grounds successful January that colorectal crab is present officially the starring origin of cancer-related decease among men and women 50 and younger.

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This is simply a important summation from the 1990s, erstwhile it was the 5th deadliest.

While wide crab deaths person been connected the diminution for this property radical since 1990, dropping by astir 44% combined, CRC is the lone large crab that has seen a spike successful mortality for those nether 50 during that clip period, the researchers noted.

Colorectal crab is present officially the starring origin of cancer-related decease among men and women 50 and younger. (iStock)

Dr. Aparna Parikh, aesculapian manager of the Center for Young Adult Colorectal Cancer astatine the Mass General Cancer Center, who is not affiliated with the ACS, shared that experts don’t "entirely recognize why" cases are connected the rise.

"But it seems to beryllium an interplay of a person’s hazard factors, wide constitution and aboriginal exposures," she antecedently told Fox News Digital. "The exposures see dietary exposures, biology exposures and imaginable antibiotic exposures, arsenic good arsenic manner factors successful the close host."

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Another caller ACS survey discovered that drinking heavy and consistently implicit an adult’s beingness could pb to a higher hazard of colorectal cancer.

Other superior hazard factors see household history, obesity, smoking, a fare precocious successful reddish and processed meats, inflammatory bowel disease, and a idiosyncratic past oregon household past of polyps.

In a Thursday quality connected "America’s Newsroom," Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel commented connected the emergence of CRC among younger individuals.

"There is simply a familial issue, but there’s besides ultraprocessed foods — a caller survey retired of Mass General shows a precocious fare successful that … [you’re] 45% much apt to person colon cancer," helium said.

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There is besides a 30% summation successful hazard with a fare higher successful processed meats, similar blistery dogs, and a 20% summation with diets higher successful reddish meat, according to Siegel.

"These are the villains here," helium said. "That, positive genetics. And I’m urging everyone retired determination — alteration the property for screening to 45, oregon adjacent beneath if you person hazard factors. That’s truly key."

Recognizing reddish flags

While determination whitethorn beryllium nary symptoms of CRC earlier diagnosis, particularly successful the aboriginal stages, definite symptoms should not beryllium overlooked, experts say.

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Professor Eitan Friedman, MD, PhD, an oncologist and laminitis of The Suzanne Levy-Gertner Oncogenetics Unit astatine the Sheba Medical Center successful Israel, confirmed that changes successful bowel habits is the superior reddish emblem that should rise the suspicion of colorectal cancer.

Abdominal discomfort and tummy pain, including cramps, bloating and gas, whitethorn beryllium sneaky signs of colorectal cancer. (iStock)

Other symptoms see fatigue arsenic a effect of anemia, a alteration successful bowel movements, tummy symptom oregon abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding oregon humor successful stool, weakness and unexplained value loss, Friedman, who did not dainty Van Der Beek, told Fox News Digital.

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Dr. Erica Barnell, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist astatine Washington University School of Medicine — and co-founder and main aesculapian serviceman astatine Geneoscopy — noted that the actor's acquisition of having nary "glaring" signs is common.

"Many colorectal cancers make silently, without evident symptoms," Barnell, who besides did not dainty Van Der Beek, told Fox News Digital. "By the clip symptoms appear, the illness whitethorn already beryllium advanced."

Family past and manner habits specified arsenic smoking and drinking tin summation CRC risk. (iStock)

The cardinal to getting up of colorectal crab is aboriginal detection, according to experts.

"Colonoscopy astatine property 45 onwards, astatine five- to 10-year intervals, has been shown to pb to aboriginal detection of polyps that person the imaginable to go malignant, and to let for their removal arsenic an effectual means of minimizing the hazard of malignant transformation," Friedman said.

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Unfortunately, Barnell noted, "screening compliance successful the U.S. remains beneath nationalist targets, and gaps are widest successful rural, low-income and number communities."

"Most radical don’t similar talking astir bowel habits, but paying attraction to changes tin prevention your life," the doc said. "Screening gives america the accidental to find problems aboriginal — often earlier you consciousness sick — and that tin marque each the difference."

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Siegel besides pushed for colonoscopies arsenic the champion method to surface for CRC, particularly if a polyp is detected and removed earlier turning into cancer.

Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.