News 12 spoke with a doctor from Yale School of Medicine on Thursday about the importance of screening for colorectal cancer. It comes after the death of actor James Van Der Beek, star of "Dawson's Creek."

"Colorectal cancer can affect patients in many different ways. So, sometimes it's completely asymptomatic, and it's identified on a colonoscopy," said Dr. Michael Cecchini, associate professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

Dr. Cecchini said doctors are seeing young patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer more often. At Yale School of Medicine, patients as young as 18 have been diagnosed with the disease in recent years.

Knowing the signs are also important.

"Fatigue, change in bowel habits, anemia, unexplained weight loss. Those are the chief symptoms I would highlight," Cecchini said.

Early screenings are also recommended. Screenings can be blood tests, a colonoscopy or stool-based tests.