James Van Der Beek is offering an update on his cancer journey — and sadly, it’s pretty bleak.
The Dawson’s Creek alum is sadly in the midst of a difficult battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer. He revealed the news last November, informing fans he’d been battling it privately for a little while and that he was taking steps to treat it. Now, nearly nine months later, he has news.
During an interview with Today.com published on Wednesday, the 48-year-old revealed:
“I’m just on the journey. It’s a process. It’ll probably be a process for the rest of my life.”
Wow… We hope he overcomes it. But even if he does, we’re sure it’s something he’s constantly going to be looking out for. The Varsity Blues star described living with the disease as a “full-time job.” Thankfully he maintains a positive outlook.
Related: Hulk Hogan’s Secret Cancer Battle & Official Cause Of Death Revealed
He recently shot scenes for Elle, a TV series following the high school years of Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods character from Legally Blonde. And for him, it was a fantastic process — that let him forget about his health issues for a bit:
“The greatest thing about work is cancer doesn’t exist between action and cut. It was fun to drop in and just have a blast because it’s such a great cast, a great production, and everybody out there is really talented.”
We’re so glad he’s staying busy.
As for the disease itself, James explained he first became concerned after noticing a change in his bowel health. So he underwent a colonoscopy at 46 years old — which he thought he was “ahead of the game” for:
“I got screened at 46. I didn’t realize they had dropped it to 45. I thought I was way ahead of the game. Even just the slightest little change, it could be something, but … don’t think that not having symptoms means you don’t have to get screened, especially for something that is this curable when caught early. That’s really what I want to get across.”
He continued:
“I ate as well as I could. I was healthy. I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. There was no reason in my mind that I should have gotten a positive diagnosis.”
So scary.
The Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23 star previously revealed the main reason he went public with the news was to raise awareness and to help others. And that’s just what he’s done! The Rules of Attraction star said he’s been stopped by numerous fans and community members claiming he’s helped them:
“Guys I see at the gas station, people come up to me at a coffee shop, I appreciate it every time. That’s been stuff that really makes me cry. When people say, ‘I got checked, I got a colonoscopy, I got a polyp removed,’ … just to save somebody that journey.”
What an amazing way to turn devastating news into something others can benefit from.
Our hearts are with James as he continues to fight for his health!
[Images via MEGA/WENN]
The post James Van Der Beek Shares Bleak Update On Cancer Battle… appeared first on Perez Hilton.