He didn’t beat around the bush. “It is cancer,” James Van Der Beek shared with his 1.5 million Instagram followers on 4. “Each year, approximately 2 [million] people around the world receive this diagnosis.

James Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year, he shared, and has been dealing with it privately until now. He wants to raise awareness.

James Van Der Beek is speaking out about how he "went into shock" after being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.

"I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it," James Van Der Beek said.

The actor opens up to PEOPLE about finding out he has colorectal cancer — and what's next for him — in an exclusive interview.

James Van Der Beek rose to fame as an actor but one of his favorite roles to date is that of a proud father. The "Dawson's Creek" star and his wife, producer and fellow actor Kimberly Van Der Beek, are parents of six children and often share glimpses of their family life on social media.

James Van Der Beek has shared the symptoms he missed before being diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer. The 47-year-old father of six shot to fame playing the lead role as Dawson Leery in teen drama Dawson’s Creek, which ran between 1998 and 2003.

The actor, who rose to fame after being cast on the drama, says it was jarring to go from total unknown to teen idol — and he still gets uncomfortable today