Following actors james van der beekExperts have warned that the disease is becoming more prevalent among young people after a man died after a two-and-a-half year battle with colon cancer.
The “Dawson’s Creek” star made the announcement. stage 3 colon cancer He was officially diagnosed in August 2023 after a colonoscopy, but was not diagnosed until November 2024.
In an August 2025 Healthline feature, Van Der Beek revealed that the first warning sign of colon cancer was changes in bowel movements, which he attributed to drinking coffee.
‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘Varsity Blues’ star James van der Beek dies at 48
“I didn’t know much about colorectal cancer until I was diagnosed,” the actor said. “I didn’t even know the screening age. [had] It has dropped to 45. I thought he was only 50 years old. ”
Recent studies have shown an alarming increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among young people.
In January, the American Cancer Society released evidence that colorectal cancer is now officially the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women under 50.
Colorectal cancer is now the deadliest cancer for certain groups of Americans, study finds
This is a significant increase compared to the 1990s, when the country had the fifth-highest death toll.
Overall death from cancer Researchers noted that although cancers in this age group have been on the decline since 1990, with a combined decline of about 44%, colorectal cancer was the only major cancer that saw a sharp increase in mortality rates for people under 50 during this period.
Dr. Aparna Parikh, medical director of the Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Center at Mass Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is not affiliated with the ACS, said experts “don’t fully understand” why cases are “on the rise.”
“But it seems to be an interaction of a person’s risk factors, their overall makeup, and their early exposure,” she previously told FOX News Digital. “Exposures include dietary exposurepotential environmental and antibiotic exposures, and appropriate host lifestyle factors.
Actor with colorectal cancer ignores simple signs: ‘I had no idea’
Another recent ACS study found that continued heavy drinking over an adult’s lifetime may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Other major risk factors include family history, obesity, smoking, and diet. Contains a lot of red and processed meatinflammatory bowel disease, and personal or family history of polyps.
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Mark Siegel appeared on “America’s Newsroom” Thursday to comment on the rise in colorectal cancer among young people.
“There are genetic issues, but there are other issues as well.” ultra-processed foods — New research from Massachusetts General shows that diets are higher in… [you’re] You are 45% more likely to get colon cancer,” he said.
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Siegel said a diet high in processed meats such as hot dogs increases the risk by 30%, and a diet high in red meat increases the risk by 20%.
“These are the bad guys here,” he said. “that, plus genetics. And I strongly encourage everyone to change their screening age to 45, or below if they have risk factors. That’s really important. ”
Although there may be no symptoms of colon cancer before diagnosis, especially in the early stages, experts say certain symptoms should not be overlooked.
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Dr. Eitan Friedman, oncologist and founder of the Suzanne Levy Gartner Tumor Genetics Unit at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, acknowledged that changes in bowel habits are a major red flag that raises suspicion of colorectal cancer.
Other symptoms include fatigue, changes in bowel movements, stomach pain or discomfort, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, weakness and unexplained symptoms due to anemia. weight lossFriedman, who did not treat Van Der Beek, told Fox News Digital.
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Dr. Erica Burnell, a physician-scientist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and co-founder and chief medical officer of Geneoscopy, noted that the actor’s experience of having no “remarkable” symptoms is common.
“Many colorectal cancers progress silently, without any obvious symptoms,” Burnell, who also did not treat van der Beek, told FOX News Digital. “By the time symptoms appear, the disease may already be advanced.”
According to experts, the key to preventing colorectal cancer is early detection.
“Colonoscopies every 5 to 10 years after age 45 have been shown to lead to early detection of potentially malignant polyps and to remove polyps as an effective means of minimizing the risk of malignant transformation,” Friedman said.
Unfortunately, Burnell said, “Testing compliance in the United States remains below national targets, with disparities greatest in rural, low-income, and minority communities.”
“Most people don’t like talking about it. defecation habits“But paying attention to changes can save lives. Screening tests give you the opportunity to catch problems early, before you feel sick. That makes a big difference,” the doctor said.
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Siegel also promoted colonoscopies as the best way to screen for colorectal cancer, especially if polyps are detected and removed before they turn into cancer.
Christina Dugan Ramirez of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
