"Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek has candidly revealed that he is battling colorectal cancer, sharing his diagnosis in a heartfelt Instagram post along with images of himself taken in and around his Austin, TX, ranch.

He didn’t beat around the bush. “It is cancer,” James Van Der Beek shared with his 1.5 million Instagram followers on 4. “Each year, approximately 2 [million] people around the world receive this diagnosis.

The actor learned he had stage 3 colorectal cancer at 46. Now he's managing the diagnosis by leaning on the love of his family and making positive changes

James Van Der Beek has opened up about being diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer at the age of 46. The father-of-six lives with with wife Kimberly, 42 and their children on a ranch in Texas and he wants to raise awareness about a disease that is becoming more common in middle-aged adults.

James Van Der Beek is opening up about his colorectal cancer diagnosis -- hoping to raise awareness about the disease.

Just days after revealing his stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis, actor James Van Der Beek is opening up about another medical ordeal— his vasectomy. In an interview with People magazine published Saturday,

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum and Kimberly, who wed in August 2010, have welcomed Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah.

In an interview with PEOPLE for its latest cover story, James Van Der Beek shared that he had a vasectomy a few years ago, long before he received his colorectal cancer diagnosis, and opened up about the decision.

"I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it," James Van Der Beek said.

Actor James Van Der Beek, 47, revealed he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. “I’ve been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while,” he said. He detailed his symptoms and diagnosis. In August of last year,