James Van Der Beek opens up about stage 3 cancer diagnosis at 46; 'I want to raise awareness'

James Van Der Beek is opening up about one of the most challenging things he's faced. Earlier this month, the actor, known for his work in "Dawson's Creek," shared that he is suffering from stage 3 colorectal cancer. He is 46 years old. 

In an interview with PEOPLE, Van Der Beek revealed that one of the reasons why he wanted to talk about his disease with the world was the fact that these types of cancers are becoming more common for people under the age of 55. 

"I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly," he said. 

"And I've found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness."

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer in people under the age of 55 has been increasing steadily since the 1990s. 

Van Der Beek shared the news of his disease in a social media post after he was informed that a tabloid had learned the news and wanted to publish a story. 

What prompted Van Der Beek to go to the doctor?

Van Der Beek revealed that he led a healthy lifestyle, was active, and had no family history of cancer. It wasn't until he began experiencing a change in his bowel movements that he noticed something was off and decided to try out different things, like avoiding coffee, or creamers. 

"But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out,'" he said. 

Van Der Beek got a colonoscopy, which ultimately revealed his diagnosis. He was completely surprised when the doctor said that he had stage 3 colorectal cancer and entered a state of shock. 

“The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer,” he said. 

While he has made no revelations regarding his health and the current stage of his cancer, he has a positive outlook. “I’m very cautiously optimistic," he said. 

"I’m in a place of healing, my energy levels are great." 

"I have a lot to live for."