James Van Der Beek opens up 1 month after announcing colorectal cancer diagnosis

James Van Der Beek is sharing new details about his health, one month after announcing publicly that he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

On Tuesday, Van Der Beek spoke to "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts in his first live television interview since announcing his diagnosis.

"Physically, I'm great. I'm feeling really good emotionally. You know, it's a lot," the "Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" actor told Roberts, nearly a year and a half since his diagnosis. "It's really a ride."

Van Der Beek first shared his diagnosis publicly in November, writing on Instagram that he was "getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before."

The 47-year-old actor, a father of six, has not shared specific details of his diagnosis, which he first received in August 2023, or his treatment.

"I was honestly in shock," Van Der Beek recalled to "GMA" after receiving the diagnosis. "I was doing what I thought I needed to do by getting a colonoscopy, which obviously, I did need to do."

"I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I was eating what I thought was healthy, and I had a whole agenda for what I thought my year would be and what I thought my priorities would be in the next couple of weeks and months," he continued. "And the reality that all of that was going to change and take a different trajectory – it felt like a nightmare, honestly, at first, that I couldn't quite wake up from. And yeah, it's a lot."

Van Der Beek's decision to announce his diagnosis publicly quickly put a spotlight on the rising rates of colorectal cancer among young people.

While cases of colorectal cancer have decreased over the last decade in adults over 55 – thanks in large part to cancer screening – rates in people younger than 55 are increasing. Colon cancer is now the number-one cause of cancer death among men younger than 50, and the number-two cause of death in women in the same age group, according to the American Cancer Society.

In July, new data from the American Cancer Society showed colorectal cancer was one of 17 cancers for which Gen X and Millennials are more at risk than previous generations.

The 2020 death of 43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman due to colon cancer drew attention to the growing trend.

Colorectal cancer, which is cancer that begins in the colon or the rectum, is the fourth most common cancer in men and women and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Van Der Beek said he has leaned on his optimism during the last year as he faced cancer head-on.

"There are a couple things that I knew. As soon as I got diagnosed, I knew, all right, this is going to add many happy years to my life," Van Der Beek said. "I'm going to make changes that I never would have made otherwise, that I'm going to look back on in 30 years and say, 'Thank God this happened.' So, what can I do right now in order to make that the case? And that's how it was, about 90% of the time, I would say."

"But 10% of the time, I was a sobbing, terrified mess, which I feel like is a pretty good percentage," he continued. "But, yeah, it's been an exercise in just being present to all of it and really just allowing the fear to come up and look at it and also say, 'All right, why is this in my prescription? Why are all these emotions coming up and how can this be great for me?'"

Van Der Beek also said his family – especially his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek – has been right there next to him, offering much-needed support.

"She's been amazing. She's really taught me what unconditional love is," Van Der Beek said of his wife. "And I'm someone who always in the past tried to do everything for everybody and never asked for help myself, and this has put me in a position of having to ask for help and having to receive help. And the beautiful blessing of that has been seeing how many people in my life have shown up."

Van Der Beek said his cancer diagnosis has been scary but at the same time, it has also helped his family grow closer.

"They all respond differently. They all hide differently. Some of them are very outward with their fears, and they talk about them and some of them, it manifests in other ways and other behavioral ways or they get really quiet," he said of his kids.

"But again, it's also an opportunity for connection, to really go deep with them and ask them, 'How are you feeling?' and be there with them," Van Der Beek added. "It's really scary for them and they had a very close friend pass from an incredibly rare brain tumor at the same time. So there was a lot of cancer talk flying around and a lot of it was really scary ... but they're doing great."

Van Der Beek said he hopes that by sharing his story, he can raise awareness of colorectal cancer and the preventative screenings that can help save lives.

"The more I could get the word out to get tested, get your colonoscopies, get scanned even before you have symptoms ... whatever I can do to get that word out," he said. "As amazing and cathartic as this year has been, it's been really tough. If I can help spare anyone the experience of my last year, I would definitely do that."

Screening for colorectal cancer typically begins at age 45, according to the CDC, However, there are other factors to consider when determining whether to begin screening earlier, such as certain medical conditions like inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps.

Regardless of age, anyone with symptoms should talk to their health care provider. Symptoms aren't always present but could include change in bowel habits, bloody stool, diarrhea, constipation or unexplained weight loss, according to the CDC.

Regular screening for colorectal cancer should continue through age 75, after which the decision to be screened should be made individually in consultation with your medical provider.

On Dec. 9, Van Der Beek will be part of "The Real Full Monty," a two-hour TV special featuring celebrities including Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Bruno Tonioli and others who have each been touched by cancer.

Anderson will lead the all-male celebrity cast as they learn and rehearse a striptease dance that they'll then perform in front of a live audience to raise awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer. The two-hour special will air Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX and stream the next day on Hulu.

"I just felt that would be a really good thing to do," Van Der Beek said of his motivation to join "The Real Full Monty." "Just having been in the public eye as long as I have, as soon as it's happened, I thought, 'You know what? There's going to be a purpose to this.' I think by sharing this, I can do some good."

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ABC News' Katie Kindelan contributed to this report.