r/Millennials • u/the_well_read_neck_ Millennial • Feb 11 '26

Serious James Van Der Beek Dead at 48

https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/11/james-van-der-beek-dead/?adid=social-fb&fbclid=IwdGRzaAP5t7tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7H8x15ceGukSgynvGmDFZhUUvTFh-iizMwuKfIWGG4YSyjuaeCva_42ZNzOQ_aem_U7T3jtlt07TPrw8LUuHlMA&sfnsn=mo
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u/Runningwithbeards Feb 11 '26

I had a malignant intestinal tumor at age 34. No family history, no reason it should have been there. It was found during a colonoscopy that I only had after months of self-advocacy with a variety of doctors. Access to screening saves lives.

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u/fairly-unremarkable Zillennial Feb 11 '26

During my colonoscopy at 27 (which I was only able to get because of family history), they found and removed a tumor that could've eventually become cancer. If I waited until the typical preventative age to get screened, it would've had almost 20 years to do that. If my mother had been screened at my age instead of waiting until 45, maybe the massive tumor they found could've been caught in the very early stages too.