Beloved “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek faces the biggest questions of his life — and the answers may not be clear.
The 78-year-old announced March 6 that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. By his own admission, it’s a grim diagnosis, though he plans to fight it.
“Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” he said in a YouTube message to his fans released.
According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers in the US and about 7 percent of all cancer deaths. The average lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer for men is about 1 in 63. Trebek himself notes that he is among more than 50,000 people in the U. S. who will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019.
The American Cancer Society further notes that stage 4 pancreatic cancer indicates that “the disease has spread to distant sites such as the liver, peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), lungs or bones.”
What is Pancreatic Cancer?
Beating Cancer’s Low Survival Rate
Trebek is realistic about his prognosis, yet there is no question about his determination to fight this disease.
“I’m going to keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends, and with the help of your prayers, also I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease,” Trebek said. “Truth be told, I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years,” he joked near the video’s end.
For more information on services with the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, click here.
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