James Van Der Beek 'Cautiously Optimistic' As He Opens Up About His Cancer Diagnosis

"That's one of the reasons I want to talk about it and the reason I'm talking about it so openly," the 47-year-old told PEOPLE. "I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly."

"And I've found a lot of support that way," he added. "But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness."

The Dawson's Creek alum lives on a ranch in Texas with his wife 42-year-old wife Kimberly and their six kids, Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.

Van Der Beek revealed his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis came as a shock, claiming his family has no history of cancer and he took care of his body and his nutrition.

"I'd always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy -- or as far as I knew it at the time," he told the outlet.

The father of six said he noticed changes in his bowel movements in the summer of 2023. He presumed it was his diet and decided he should "stop coffee" or try not putting "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.'"

The first step was a colonoscopy which he wasn't worried about, until the gastroenterologist walked in.

"I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I'd finally done it," he said. "Then the gastroenterologist said -- in his most pleasant bedside manner -- that it was cancer. I think I went into shock."

He has since gone through treatments that he does not yet want to share specific details about -- however, he added: "If you've heard about it, I've probably touched on it."

Despite the diagnosis, he remains "very cautiously optimistic."

"I'm in a place of healing, my energy levels are great. When I've been out of the woods completely for what feels like a responsible amount of time, I'll circle back and let you know," he told the publication, before adding: "I have a lot to live for."

The actor announced his diagnosis in an interview with People last week.

It was the first time some members of his family heard the news, leading Van Der Beek to take to Instagram to apologize.

"It is cancer … Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them. 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," Van Der Beek explained. "But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news."

Adding that he has "been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before," the actor noted that he's "in a good place and feeling strong."

"It's been quite the initiation, and I'll tell you more when I'm ready," Van Der Beek added. "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. Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support."

Per the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum, which make up the large intestine in the digestive system.