Article continues below advertisementJames Van Der Beek Announced His Cancer Diagnosis in 2024Source: MEGAJames Van Der Beek died on February 11 at the age of 48.James Van Der Beek courageously battled cancer for over a year before his death on February 11 at the age of 48.The Dawson's Creek alum confirmed his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024, telling a news outlet he had been dealing with the dreaded illness and had been "taking steps to resolve it, with the support of [his] incredible family.""There's reason for optimism, and I'm feeling good," he added.