The "Dawson's Creek" star died last week aged 48 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer. Similar to other cancers among young people, colorectal cancer has been linked with being overweight, having a bad diet, not exercising enough, drinking and smoking. "We don't know," Jenny Seligmann, a researcher specialising in colorectal cancer at the University of Leeds in the UK, told AFP. Seligmann said she was also seeing many different subtypes of colorectal cancer in her clinic, which suggests there is not a single cause behind the rise. The most noticeable symptom of colorectal cancer is changes in bowel movements such as diarrhoea or constipation.

Source: The Star February 17, 2026 07:42 UTC