Former “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek has cancer.

The 47-year-old star made the revelation recently in PEOPLE magazine.

“I have colorectal cancer,” he told the site. “I have dealt with this diagnosis privately and taken steps to resolve it with the support of my incredible family.”

The good news?

“There are reasons for optimism,” Van Der Beek told PEOPLE. “And I feel good.”

Van Der Beek also posted on Instagram about his diagnosis.

“It’s caner…” he wrote. “Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I am one of them. There’s no manual on how to (announce) these things, but I plan to talk about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story in my own conditions. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid would be breaking the news.

“I’ve been dealing with it privately so far, getting treatment and attending to my overall health more carefully than ever,” he added. “I’m in a good place and I feel strong. It was quite an initiation and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready. I apologize to all the people in my life that I had planned to tell me. Nothing about this process happened on my preferred timeline… But we go with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, moving toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention.”

He concluded by saying that he and his family “deeply appreciate all the love and support.”

Fans quickly responded with prayers and well wishes.

“I’m so sorry that a tabloid violated your privacy like this… this is your story that you should have had full autonomy to share on your timeline and on your terms,” ​​one person responded. “It lifts your whole family.”

“Oh James, I’m so sorry you didn’t get to address this news on your own terms,” ​​wrote another. “I know that when the time comes, your voice and experience will be so valuable. My thoughts are with you and your sweet family.”

You can see his post and all the responses here.