Actor James Van Der Beek diagnosed with colorectal cancer

WASHINGTON — James Van Der Beek, who played the titular Dawson Leery on "Dawson's Creek," revealed over the weekend that he has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 

The 47-year-old actor released a statement to multiple outlets confirming his health battle, but said he was hopeful about the future. 

“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” Van Der Beek said in his statement.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease, with around 150,000 Americans diagnosed every year. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at treating and eventually curing the disease, one in 24 people in the world will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime. 

CNN reported that Van Der Beek posted a now-deleted story to his Instagram after the news broke over the weekend, confirming reports and writing that he is “getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before.”

According to CNN, Van Der Beek said he planned to give more details at a later date, but decided to write something Sunday after he “was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news" -- an apparent reference to the People story published Sunday afternoon. 

“Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline,” he wrote. “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.”