Actor James Van Der Beek, known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek, shared with PEOPLE that he had colorectal cancer on Sunday, November 3. However, his cancer diagnosis announcement was not originally planned that way. He had to share the news sooner than expected due to an unforeseen reason.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The actor shared the reason behind this premature announcement in an Instagram post. "There's no playbook for how announce these things, but I'd planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon... to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms," wrote Van Der Beek. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news."
Irresponsibly sharing something as personal as a cancer diagnosis is a very insensitive thing to do. The nature of cancer and its effect on the diagnosed patient and their family can be insurmountable at times. Unfortunately for Van Der Beek, he was not able to tell his loved ones himself first.
"Apologies to all the people in my life who I'd planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline," he continued. "But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention."
Nevertheless, he thanked his family for all the "love and support" that he had received. He remains optimistic moving forward. "I'm in a good place and feeling strong," Van Der Beek wrote. "It's been quite the initiation, and I'll tell you more when I'm ready."
A Cancer Diagnosis
James Van Der Beek shared his diagnosis in an exclusive piece with PEOPLE. "I have colorectal cancer. I've been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family," he told the outlet. "There's reason for optimism, and I'm feeling good."
Also known as colon cancer or rectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, this type of cancer usually starts as polyps in the inner lining of the colon or rectum. These polyps are more common in older patients and are usually benign. However, some of them can turn into cancerous after many years.
Depending on the stage of the cancer, colorectal cancer has a 5-year relative survival rate of up to 91% all the way down to 13%. The stage of Van Der Beek's cancer was not made public, but hopefully, he can overcome this difficult time.
