American actor James Van Der Beek announced that he has been diagnosed with colon cancer. He added that he had reasons to be “optimistic” and “I feel good.”
47-year-old James Van Der Beek is best known for his role as Dawson Leery in “Lake of Dreams”. The popular TV series aired from 1998 to 2003. He also played a fictional version of himself in the production “Don't Mess with the Bitch at 23”. His next film, titled “Sidelined: The QB and Me,” is scheduled to be released at the end of this month.
The actor announced his illness in an interview with People magazine. – I have colon cancer. So far, I have been dealing with the diagnosis away from the media and I am taking steps to deal with this situation, with the support of my wonderful family, he said.
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Colorectal cancer and a topic we prefer to remain silent about. The whole conversation TVN24
James Van Der BeekJoseph Martinez/PAP
The actor planned to confess about his illness differently
He also wrote about his illness on Instagram. “There's no textbook way to announce things like this, but I planned to talk about it at some point to raise awareness and do it on my own terms,” ​​the actor explained. He added that these plans changed when he learned that one of the tabloids was preparing a publication about his disease. He also apologized to all the people close to him to whom he “planned to tell about it in person.”
He added that now more than ever he is focusing on his health. 'I'm in a good place and I feel strong,' he assured.
Colon cancer
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the world. It is also the second leading cause of death from cancer, accounting for almost a million deaths each year.
Doctors remind us that in a significant number of cases, colorectal cancer is diagnosed only when the disease has already progressed seriously. Early detection of colorectal cancer is crucial to fighting the disease and gives patients a better prognosis before the cancer spreads to other organs.
People aged 45 and over should have regular colon cancer screening tests, such as a colonoscopy, even if they have no symptoms. Although many people are afraid of this test, it should be performed because it gives a good chance of detecting cancer in the large intestine or a precancerous form, i.e. a polyp. If a colonoscopy does not reveal changes in the intestine, another colonoscopy is recommended only after ten years. Another test that can be performed instead of colonoscopy is stool analysis for the presence of occult blood. They should be performed every year.
Main photo source: Joseph Martinez/PAP