Alex Trebek, the well-known host of “Jeopardy!” announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, which is commonly known to be one of the most lethal forms of the disease. Speaking in a video posted to YouTube, Trebek noted that “normally the prognosis is not very encouraging,” but promised that he was “going to fight this.”
“I’m going to keep working, and with the love of support of my family and friends, and with the help of your prayers, also, I plan to beat the low survival rates statistics for this disease,” he said.
“Truth told,” Trebek added, “I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host ‘Jeopardy!’ for three more years. So help me — keep the faith — and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”
Prayers and well-wishes have been pouring in from across social media since Trebek’s shocking announcement.
Dear Alex Trebek,
I just want to remind you that you are Alex Trebeck!
You are the intellectual Bruce Lee.
You can beat this and I pray you do.
God be with you, sir.
All best,
Don Winslow— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) March 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/fonominal/status/1103431649696600064
PLEASE PRAY for Alex Trebek who has announced he has pancreatic cancer. Not only is he a legend as the host of @Jeopardy, he is also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We got your back, Alex!@abc13houston pic.twitter.com/pAMTwsqKFW
— Melanie Lawson (@MelanieLawson13) March 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/chefmarcela/status/1103496313147133952
According to the American Cancer Society, over 45,000 people will die of pancreatic cancer this year. It is also notoriously difficult to diagnose, as it often does not present any clear-cut or distinguishable symptoms. Feelings of stomach pain, backache, unexplained weight loss and indigestion can all be associated with the disease.
As a result of its aggressive nature, the one-year relative survival rate for pancreatic cancer is just 20 percent.
Please keep Trebek and his family in your prayers at this difficult time.