As with many people from my generation, for me Dawson’s Creek was one of those must-watch programmes, so I was shocked to read that James Van Der Beek had died from bowel cancer. Secondly, I myself have just received a bowel cancer diagnosis. I was well aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. Still, it wasn’t until I started passing blood on its own with abdominal pains that I told my wife. Within four hours I was making that phone call home to tell my wife I had bowel cancer.

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2026 09:02 UTC