James Van Der Beek urged people to get screened for colon cancer

James Van Der Beek has died at 48. He was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023 at 46 and publicly shared his diagnosis a year later. His death comes weeks after a report that found colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in people under 50; Chadwick Boseman died from colorectal cancer in 2020 at 43, and Catherine O'Hara had been diagnosed with rectal cancer before dying from a pulmonary embolism at 71.

Symptoms can be subtle. Common signs include rectal bleeding, changes in bowel movements, bloating, and abdominal pain, and Van Der Beek said, "It didn't feel like a real symptom of anything." Because those symptoms overlap with issues like IBS or hemorrhoids, some people—especially if they are young and fit—can be misdiagnosed for years.

Joshua Demb, a researcher who studies early-onset colon cancer, says the key is noticing which symptoms feel unusual for you; even slight stomach pain or bloating can be worth checking out if you otherwise never experience it.

colorectal cancer, colon cancer, screening, early-onset, rectal bleeding, bowel changes, abdominal pain, bloating, chadwick boseman, catherine o'hara