The recent death of the 48-year-old actor James Van Der Beek is again highlighting how colorectal cancer is increasingly killing younger people.

About 60% to 70% of people under 50 are diagnosed with more advanced disease, compared with older adults who benefit from routine screening [1]. The five-year survival rate for localized colorectal cancer stands at an encouraging 91%, but plummets to just 16% when the cancer has spread to distant organs [6].

"It is clear that this can no longer be called an old person’s disease."

James Van Der Beek's death at age 48 highlights a sad statistic: More people under 50 are getting colorectal cancer.

(THE CONVERSATION) An increasing number of people are dying of colorectal cancer at a young age, including those as young as 20. Actor James Van Der Beek, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023, died at age 48 on Feb. 11, 2026, bringing the disease back into the limelight.

Discussions around colorectal cancer and its warning signs have intensified in the wake of Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek’s passing on Wednesday1. The actor’s demise due to the disease was announced by his wife,

About 20% of colorectal cancer cases are in those 54 and younger, according to a 2025 report. That rate is twice as high as it was in 1995.

More people are dying from colorectal cancer, per new research from the American Cancer Society. The "Dawson's Creek" alum was open about his cancer diagnosis. Lindsey Vonn had to be airlifted off the course after a brutal crash just seconds into her downhill race at the Olympics.

Colorectal cancer has gained attention recently as well-known celebrities have died from complications of the disease.