James Van Der Beek has shared the first symptom that lead to his cancer diagnosis – and recalled the devastating moment he found out he had the disease.

The Dawson’s Creek star, 47, shared the news that he was battling colorectal cancer earlier this week.

Now, he has spoken to People magazine about the change in his body that first alerted him that something was wrong.

He told the publication that he was ‘in amazing cardiovascular shape’ and always ‘tried to eat healthy,’ so he never expected to get cancer.

‘I’d always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles,’ he added.

James Van Der Beek has shared the symptom that lead to his cancer diagnosis – and recalled the devastating moment he found out he had the disease 

The actor revealed that he endured a ‘change in his bowel movements’ last summer, but still didn’t think it was something serious. 

The Dawson’s Creek star, 47, shared the news that he was battling colorectal cancer earlier this week. Now, he has spoken to People magazine about the change in his body that alerted him that something was wrong

‘I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee, or maybe not put cream in the coffee,’ he continued. 

‘But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, “All right, I better get this checked out.”‘

He then underwent a colonoscopy, and received the heartbreaking news that he had stage 3 colorectal cancer.

‘I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I’d finally done it,’ recalled the 47-year-old.

‘Then the gastroenterologist said – in his most pleasant bedside manner – that it was cancer. I think I went into shock.’

James told the outlet that he was undergoing treatment but didn’t divulge any details on it.

He added that he’s ‘cautiously optimistic’ during this ‘place of healing,’ and insisted that his ‘energy levels are great.’ 

When asked what the hardest part was, James – who resides on a stunning Texas ranch with his wife, Kimberly, and six children – said all of the ‘unknowns.

The actor (seen with his six kids) revealed that he endured a ‘change in his bowel movements’ last summer, but didn’t think it was something serious.

He then underwent a colonoscopy, and received the heartbreaking news that he had stage 3 colorectal cancer. He’s seen in Dawson’s Creek 

‘As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things,’ he explained. ‘This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit.

James told the outlet that he was undergoing treatment but didn’t divulge any details on it. He added that he’s ‘cautiously optimistic’

‘I thought, “This is either going to take me out of the body, or it’s going to teach me how to truly live in it.”‘

The Rules of Attraction alum shared the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer on Sunday via Instagram.

At the time, he said he’d been told that a tabloid was planning to publish a story about it, so he was forced to share it online sooner than he would have liked to have gone public with it.

‘”It is cancer.” Each year, approximately two billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,’ he wrote. 

‘There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms.

‘But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.’

The Rules of Attraction alum shared the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer on Sunday via Instagram 

The father-of-six added that he had been ‘getting treatment’ in private, and apologized to the people ‘in his life’ who had to find out through the post. 

‘I’ve been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,’ he continued.

‘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.

‘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.’