I Overlooked the Same Early Sign of Colon Cancer as James Van Der Beek

What I learned about sneaky symptoms and when to get screened—early detection could save your life

James Van Der Beek (left) and Alexandra Frost (right)Getty & Alexandra Frost

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We got the news days before Valentine’s Day this year that the teen heartthrob of millennials everywhere, actor James Van Der Beek (star of hits like Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues), had died of colorectal cancer at age 48. It hit hard, not just because he was my first on-screen love, but because I also have stage 3 cancer at an abnormally young age (I was diagnosed at 37). When I found out he had six kids he left behind, my heart broke even more. I have five of my own. But the similarities didn’t stop there.

Van Der Beek and I both missed a very real and important symptom that prolonged our cancer diagnoses, one that oncologists are shouting from the rooftops that more young people should watch for. Just like a colonoscopy, it’s not sexy, but so important to keep an eye on—changes in bowel movements. Here’s what to know about this early colon cancer sign.

Colorectal cancer is on the rise in young adults

Colorectal cancers, meaning cancer that develops in the soft tissue of the digestive system, such as the colon or rectum, are on the rise in young people. One in 24 men and one in 26 women will develop this condition, which is now the third most diagnosed cancer and third leading cause of cancer death, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) warns. What’s more concerning is that every year since the mid 1990s, there’s been a two percent increase in cases diagnosed in the 20 to 39 age group, CRI shares, with experts blaming processed food and red meat, along with sedentary lifestyles.

“By 2030, cases in younger adults are expected to nearly double. By the end of the decade, about 1 in 10 colon cancers and 1 in 4 rectal cancers will occur in people under 50,” says Avni Desai, MD, gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Commack, NY. “We don’t fully understand why this is happening. Researchers are looking at possible links to diet, lifestyle and environmental factors, and this trend is being seen worldwide.”

The colon cancer signs we sometimes miss

James Van Der Beek in 2019Emma McIntyre/Getty
Most young people aren’t analyzing their poop on a regular basis. After all, it’s, well, gross. When I first had changes in bowel habits, I blamed my diet. I figured I needed to skip Friday night pizza and drinks with my friends, and that maybe I’d become a bit lactose intolerant. So, I played with my diet a bit and wrote it off. In 2024, Van Der Beek had a similar thought, blaming coffee.

He originally told People: “It was just a change in bowel habits…I probably need to change my diet a little bit. Maybe I need to stop coffee. Maybe I need to not put cream in the coffee. And then when I finally took that out of the diet and it didn’t improve, and I thought, all right, I better go get this checked out.”

Similarly, I did get a bit more worried when the diarrhea didn’t stop with eliminating dairy. Plus, I was missing my Friday night friends’ outing. I didn’t really get it checked out until it became emergent-level stomach pain that sent me to the ER—one that revealed a large tumor in my digestive tract, despite having no family history of cancer.

So why don’t we pay attention to our bodies even as “aware” people? Kids. Life. Jobs. Denial. Whatever the reason, it’s not good enough to stop the colorectal cancer problem early.

“We see this all the time,” Dr. Desai says. “Many people assume bowel changes are due to something they ate, stress or a new medication. Rectal bleeding is often blamed on hemorrhoids, even if it’s been going on for months or longer.” She says that, unfortunately, both young people and their healthcare providers often don’t suspect colorectal cancer, delaying diagnosis as well.

Are we screening for colon cancer too late?

Van Der Beek was the picture of health, in “amazing cardiovascular shape,” along with taking cold plunges, practicing intermittent fasting, “all of it,” he once shared. Similarly, I was someone who ate healthy, worked out frequently and never suspected an issue. And for those without symptoms, there’d be no reason to suspect colon cancer, and no routine screening as a young person to be sure.

The American Cancer Society recommends colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 45, lowered from age 50 in 2018, either via a stool-based test or a colonoscopy (the “gold standard” colon cancer screening tool). Though the lower testing age won’t help with rises in diagnosis in young people in their 20s and 30s, Dr. Desai says that overall, the majority of cases are still in older adults.

But if you can get screened for colorectal cancer, do it. As someone who has now had many colonoscopies, I can assure anyone who is considering getting one that it’s really not that bad at all, and strangely, the best nap ever. So just do it.

Colon cancer signs to watch for

Alexandra Frost going to a post-op scan after being diagnosed with colon cancercourtesy of Alexandra Frost
As Van Der Beek would likely attest to, don’t assume it’s coffee causing bowel changes. As I can attest, don’t assume you’ve developed a lactose problem. Instead, if you have a bowel change, carefully track what’s happening, for how long and pay extra attention. “If bowel changes or bleeding last more than a few weeks—especially if they don’t improve with simple diet changes—it’s time to check in with a healthcare provider,” Dr. Desai says.

She also says to watch for early signs and symptoms of colon cancer, including:

Constipation or diarrhea
Pencil-thin stools
Rectal bleeding
Unexplained fatigue
Anemia
Abdominal pain
Bloating

Unfortunately, this type of cancer also might not cause symptoms at all, she adds. (Learn more about colon cancer symptoms in women that you should never ignore.)

“The good news is that when colorectal cancer is caught early, it’s highly treatable and often curable,” Dr. Desai reassures. “Screening saves lives. The most important step is simply to get screened and not to ignore symptoms if something doesn’t feel right.”

Luckily, today, I have a much better prognosis, with the cancer removed and frequent screening ensuring it didn’t spread further. But the lesson I learned is one I’ll carry with me as I wait many more years, hopeful of remission, shouting from the rooftops to not ignore your poop habits. Let’s share that same warning in memory of our first heartthrob and the family he left behind.