James Van Der Beek, 48, Says Cancer Treatment ‘Stripped’ Him of His Roles as Father, Husband and Actor, Now Finds Solace In Being ‘Worthy of God’s Love’

RELATED: James Van Der Beek Praises His Wife For ‘Sticking By Me’ During Colorectal Cancer Journey — Allowing Yourself to Be Vulnerable During Cancer

“Today’s my birthday!” he said to the camera, wearing a grey sweater and newsboy cap, sitting in front of a fireplace. “And it has been the hardest year of my life.”

“When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never really all that fulfilling. And then I became a husband and that was much better. And then I became a father, and that was the ultimate,” Van Der Beek shared. “I could define myself then as a loving, capable, strong, supportive husband, father, provider … and for a long time, that felt like a really good definition.”

 

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“And then this year, I had to look my own mortality in the eye. I had to come nose to nose with death,” he continued. “And all of those definitions I cared so much about were stripped of me.”

“I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband,” he said. “I could no longer be a father and pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.”

Van Der Beek said he was faced with the question of, “If I am a too-skinny, weak guy alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I? And I meditated and the answer came through: I am worthy of God’s love. Simply because I exist,” he said with raw emotion in his eyes.

“And if I’m worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I also be worthy of my own? And the same is true for you.”

James Van Der Beek’s Cancer Diagnosis

James Van Der Beek learned he had colorectal cancer in 2024 after getting a colonoscopy. He told PEOPLE in a cover interview that he went and got checked due to his persistent bowel issues.

“I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee. Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn’t improve, I thought, ‘All right, I better get this checked out,’” he told the outlet.

While he has not given too many specific details since his initial diagnosis, aside from sharing the emotional aspects, Van Der Beek raved about his family support from the very start.

“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he had said of his wife Kimberly, 42, and their six children.

Cancer Treatment: A ‘Very Vulnerable’ Experience

It’s no secret that fighting cancer can be extremely overwhelming, so having physical and emotional support during your battle is crucial. It’s very important to know your limits on what you can handle — including relationships — during treatment, as everyone’s experience and personal choices are different.

“Going through treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much … [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”

RELATED: Father of 6, James Van Der Beek, 47, Got a Vasectomy Prior To Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis — His Prognosis & Options For Treatment

Dr. Strongin does note, however, that having people by your side during this “arduous chapter” of your life can be hugely beneficial.

“Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery,” she wrote. “Therefore, it will be important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you throughout your treatment.”

SN & You Presents Mental Health: Coping With Emotions

When tougher days during cancer send you into a down-spin of emotions, an important way to pick yourself back up is to feel those emotions and let them out.

In this episode of SurvivorNetTV’s series, SN & You, survivors share how they handle their mental health and cope with their emotions after undergoing cancer treatment.

Getting a handle on your mental health is important and processing your emotions is one of the first steps. Cancer survivors say that first you must let the emotions out, find your support system, and live your life.

“People that are strong cry, it’s the weak ones who try to hold it in,” says Evelyn Reyes-Beato, a colon cancer survivor.

SurvivorNet has other great mental health resources for you that may be useful during more trying times, including more films that will inspire you.

Turning to Faith During a Cancer Journey

For some people, turning to faith can be a great way to keep spirits high when cancer starts taking an emotional and/or physical toll. New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans previously spoke with SurvivorNet about the importance of find ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing after a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you’ve never prayed before, you don’t know what to say, a heartfelt plea, ‘God, help me, be with me,'” Pastor Evans previously told SurvivorNet. “You can reach out to God and you can reach out to people, your friends and family and say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need you.'”

Faith Perspective: Opening Yourself Up to Others After a Cancer Diagnosis

“It’s in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can actually find something deeper that we never would’ve encountered without this hardship.”

For Sharonda Vincent, faith played a huge role in helping her get through her stage 2B breast cancer battle.

“I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay,” Vincent previously told SurvivorNet.

Learning More About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer happens when polyps are not removed and become cancerous. It can take up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become cancerous, according to SurvivorNet’s medical advisors.

“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet. “Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem.”

Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy

Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.

“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained. “What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So, there’s no pain.”

RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Gets A Colonoscopy and Delivers a Stark Message: ‘Two Friends Who Aren’t Here Anymore. But Should Be’

The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.

The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends guidelines that state colon cancer screenings should begin at 45 years old. This is in response to the increase we see in colon cancer diagnoses in younger adults.

However, many insurance companies still do not cover the cost of screenings for those under 50. In the past, the disease had predominantly been found in adults 50 years or older, but for those predisposed to getting it at a younger age, these new guidelines could help catch it earlier.

What Increases Your Risk for Colorectal Cancer?

Certain risk factors can increase a person’s risk of getting colon cancer.

Risk factors to be aware include:

• Age — About 90% of cases are in people aged 50 or older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Yet it is possible to get this cancer earlier in life.
• Inflammatory bowel disease — Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can, over time, cause cells in your intestines to turn cancerous.
• Family history — Just under one-third of people who get colon cancer have family members with the disease.
• Genetic mutations — About 5% of colorectal cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that causes syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
• Sedentary lifestyle — Staying active can lower your risk.
• Diet high in red meat — Regularly eating red meats like burgers and steaks, and processed meats such as hot dogs and bacon might put you at higher risk.  Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead might lower your risk.
• Being overweight/obese — Having too much weight increases your risk of both getting colon cancer and dying from it.
• Alcohol use — Limiting alcohol to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men could help lower your risk.
• Tobacco use — Long-term smokers are more likely to get this cancer than nonsmokers.

Treatment Options for Colorectal Cancer

Though Van Der Beek has chosen to keep most details of his colorectal cancer journey and treatment process private, it’s important to understand that your doctor has many ways to treat colon cancer, depending on what stage the cancer is, including:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy

Along with seeking emotional support during this time, it’s important to seek out multiple opinions on your treatment plan to make sure you have the best overall outcome.

Contributing by SurvivorNet Staff

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