Health
James Van Der Beek’s death highlights alarming colon cancer rise in younger adults
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Following actor James Van Der Beek’s death after a 2½-year battle with colon cancer, experts are warning of the disease’s prevalence among younger people.
The “Dawson’s Creek” star announced his stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis in November 2024, although he was officially diagnosed in August 2023 after a colonoscopy.
In an August 2025 feature with Healthline, Van Der Beek revealed the first warning sign of colon cancer was a change in bowel movements, which he chalked up to an effect of drinking coffee.
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“Before my diagnosis, I didn’t know much about colorectal cancer,” the actor said. “I didn’t even realize the screening age [had] dropped to 45; I thought it was still 50.”
Following actor James Van Der Beek’s death after a 2½-year battle with colon cancer, experts are warning of the disease’s prevalence among younger people. (Ray Tamarra/GC Images)
Risk on the rise
Recent research has shown an alarming rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among younger individuals.
The American Cancer Society published evidence in January that colorectal cancer is now officially the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women 50 and younger.
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This is a significant increase from the 1990s, when it was the fifth deadliest.
While overall cancer deaths have been on the decline for this age group since 1990, dropping by about 44% combined, CRC is the only major cancer that has seen a spike in mortality for those under 50 during that time period, the researchers noted.
Colorectal cancer is now officially the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women 50 and younger. (iStock)
Dr. Aparna Parikh, medical director of the Center for Young Adult Colorectal Cancer at the Mass General Cancer Center, who is not affiliated with the ACS, shared that experts don’t “entirely understand why” cases are on the rise.
“But it seems to be an interplay of a person’s risk factors, overall makeup and early exposures,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “The exposures include dietary exposures, environmental exposures and possible antibiotic exposures, as well as lifestyle factors in the right host.”
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Another recent ACS study discovered that drinking heavily and consistently over an adult’s lifetime could lead to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
Other primary risk factors include family history, obesity, smoking, a diet high in red and processed meats, inflammatory bowel disease, and a personal history or family history of polyps.
In a Thursday appearance on “America’s Newsroom,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel commented on the rise of CRC among younger individuals.
“There is a genetic issue, but there’s also ultraprocessed foods — a new study out of Mass General shows a high diet in that… [you’re] 45% more likely to have colon cancer,” he said.
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There is also a 30% increase in risk with a diet higher in processed meats, like hot dogs, and a 20% increase with diets higher in red meat, according to Siegel.
“These are the villains here,” he said. “That, plus genetics. And I’m urging everyone out there — change the age for screening to 45, or even below if you have risk factors. That’s really key.”
Recognizing red flags
While there may be no symptoms of CRC before diagnosis, especially in the early stages, certain symptoms should not be overlooked, experts say.
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Dr. Eitan Friedman, Ph.D., an oncologist and founder of The Suzanne Levy-Gertner Oncogenetics Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, confirmed that changes in bowel habits are the primary red flag that should raise the suspicion of colorectal cancer.
Abdominal discomfort and stomach pain, including cramps, bloating and gas, may be sneaky signs of colorectal cancer. (iStock)
Other symptoms include fatigue as a result of anemia, a change in bowel movements, stomach pain or abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding or blood in stool, weakness and unexplained weight loss, Friedman, who did not treat Van Der Beek, told Fox News Digital.
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Dr. Erica Barnell, Ph.D., a physician-scientist at Washington University School of Medicine — and co-founder and chief medical officer at Geneoscopy — noted that the actor’s experience of having no “glaring” signs is common.
“Many colorectal cancers develop silently, without obvious symptoms,” Barnell, who also did not treat Van Der Beek, told Fox News Digital. “By the time symptoms appear, the disease may already be advanced.”
Family history and lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking can increase CRC risk. (iStock)
The key to getting ahead of colorectal cancer is early detection, according to experts.
“Colonoscopy at age 45 onwards, at five- to 10-year intervals, has been shown to lead to early detection of polyps that have the potential to become malignant, and to allow for their removal as an effective means of minimizing the risk of malignant transformation,” Friedman said.
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Unfortunately, Barnell noted, “screening compliance in the U.S. remains below national targets, and gaps are widest in rural, low-income and minority communities.”
“Most people don’t like talking about bowel habits, but paying attention to changes can save your life,” the doctor said. “Screening gives us the chance to find problems early — often before you feel sick — and that can make all the difference.”
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Siegel also pushed for colonoscopies as the best method to screen for CRC, especially if a polyp is detected and removed before turning into cancer.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
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FIRST ON FOX: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated, according to celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the restaurateur and owner of New York City’s new Bar Rocco – whose philosophy and cookbooks are rooted in health-conscious dieting – shared a few misconceptions about healthy eating, especially when the end goal is weight loss.
“There is no one fix, there’s no one cure for everyone,” he said. “Everyone has different needs and their weight-loss journey is going to be different. So, you really have to figure out what your problem is.”
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This could be a body composition imbalance, a lack of exercise or a generally poor diet, DiSpirito mentioned. “Figure out what will help you address those issues most quickly,” he advised.
Rocco DiSpirito recently opened Bar Rocco in New York City. The Rockefeller Center location offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Eric Medsker)
“Even if you’re working out, unless you’re LeBron James and burning 8,000 calories a game, there’s no way to out-train a bad diet, so at some point in our lives, we have to come to a reckoning with what we consume.”
DiSpirito says it’s “always a good idea” to start with the basics, including consuming less sugar, less alcohol, fewer processed foods and fewer processed carbs, as well as eating more protein.
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The chef revealed that the No. 1 issue he’s witnessed is that people have “no idea how many calories they’re consuming.”
“We’re all consuming two to three times more than we realize,” he noted. “And even when we count and use the apps, there’s a lot of fuzzy math going on.”
“So, getting a handle on how much you’re consuming, even the little picking that you do while you’re cooking and cleaning, all that counts and adds up quickly.”
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As the healthy eating movement gains traction, DiSpirito called it “very important” for most of the U.S., as the country faces an “obesity issue.”
“Restaurants are definitely thinking about it as well,” he said. “[But] I wouldn’t say restaurants are making it their [top] priority.”
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“We still have a lot of work to do just getting people in and seated and fed and their checks to them when they want. But there are some restaurants that are focused on it.”
As the healthy eating movement gains traction, DiSpirito called it “very important” for most of the U.S., as the country faces an “obesity issue.” (iStock)
Privately, DiSpirito said he has focused on providing healthy meal plans for clients.
“But for restaurants to approach healthy eating is a little difficult, because it’s a whole different kind of cooking and a [different] kind of energy,” he said.
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“Healthy eating isn’t fun – so to bring that into a fun atmosphere is kind of difficult. It’s difficult to mix the two.”
This crossroads between indulgence and health may be a tricky mix, especially among the food supply in America, DiSpirito acknowledged – but the two align more easily in other countries where the food is not tampered with, he added.
Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito says other countries, like Italy, “don’t allow a lot of messing around with food that we allow in the United States.” (Jonathan Pushnik)
“If you go to Italy, for example, and just eat everything they eat, it feels indulgent … and it’s also very healthy,” he said. “And the key is the food supply is still natural. It’s still organic.”
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“There aren’t lots of sprayed food [or] sprayed vegetables in Italy,” DiSpirito went on. “They don’t allow a lot of messing around with food that we allow in the United States, the GMO-ing, the modifying.”
“So healthy and indulgent are not mutually exclusive, but in [our] food supply system … it’s very difficult.”
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