'Dawson's Creek' actor’s cancer diagnosis

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Doctors recently diagnosed American actor James Van Der Beek, or ‘Dawson’ from the TV show Dawson’s Creek, with colorectal cancer, more commonly known as colon cancer.

Van Der Beek’s career

Van Der Beek, 47, starred in multiple popular shows and films in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He played Dawson Leery in the hit TV show Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003. In this series Van Der Beek starred alongside Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams.

Source: x.com/dawsonscreek

He also played a fictionalised version of himself in the cult television show Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, and he performed on the 28th US season of Dancing with the Stars.

He is expected to appear on the programme The Real Full Monty later this year. It is a two-hour-long special TV show in which a group of male celebrities don their clothes to raise awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer testing and research.

He has two projects in production, including a Tubi original film called Sidelined: The QB and Me, which is due to come out later this month, as reported by the BBC.

Actor optimistic despite cancer diagnosis

Van Der Beek has continued working through his diagnosis and said that he has been dealing with this diagnosis privately and taking steps to resolve it.

The actor added that there is reason for optimism and that he is currently feeling good. He has been married to business consultant Kimberly Brook since 2010 and they have six children together.

Colon cancer common among men in SA

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), colon cancer is slightly more common in men than in women.

Colorectal or colon cancer is among the top three cancers for both men and women in South Africa. There is evidence of many younger individuals with colorectal cancer. It’s the second most common cancer in men (following prostate cancer) and the third most common cancer in women (following breast and cervical cancer)

Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, and constipation. Doctors often misdiagnose it in the early stages, leading to many cases progressing before diagnosis. Colorectal cancer develops from growths in the colon’s inner lining and can spread if not treated.