Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek issues apology after going public with cancer diagnosis

James Van Der Beek has apologised to those close to him who found out about his cancer diagnosis through the media.

The 47-year-old Dawson's Creek actor revealed on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with a colorectal form of the disease in an interview with People magazine but shortly afterwards, he took to social media to claim that the announcement had not happened on his "preferred timeline" and there were others he would have rather told in person before the news broke.

He wrote on Instagram : "I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialling in my overall health with greater focus than ever before. I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.

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"Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.

"Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support," he added.

The actor - who has six children with his wife Kimberly -revealed to the outlet that he had been "privately dealing" with the illness until now and noted that he has had support from his family along the way.

He said: "I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family. There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good."

Colorectal cancer develops in either the rectum or the colon. James didn't disclose what stage his cancer is or his course of treatment.

Symptoms of colorectal cancer to watch out for are changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you, blood in your poo which could look red or black, a sensation of needing to poo even if you've just been to the toilet - and other symptoms including tummy pain, bloating and unexpected weight loss.

While James has been acting on screen in film and TV shows since the early 1990s, he is still best known to many as the titular Dawson Leery of iconic teen drama Dawson's Creek. The show also launched the careers of Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, Batman actress Katie Holmes, and Canadian star Joshua Jackson.

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