“Dawson’s Creek” actor James Van Der Beek opened up about the quiet warning sign that led to his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis. The symptom was so subtle, he initially dismissed it as a side effect of his morning coffee.

According to TODAY , the 48-year-old star revealed that changes in his bowel habits during the summer of 2023 were the first indication something was wrong. At first, he attributed the irregularity to his diet, particularly his coffee intake, but when the issue persisted, he decided to get checked out.

“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee or change my diet,” Van Der Beek told People . “But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out’”

A colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis in November 2024: Stage 3 colorectal ca

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