Longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek shared what he described as a “mind-boggling” update this week, telling People he is “near remission” after three months of treatment.
During his interview with the magazine, Trebek said his doctors told him they “hadn’t seen this kind of positive result in their memory.” He said his physicians “are so excited, just beside themselves with joy.”
“I told the doctors, ‘This has to be more than just the chemo,’ and they agreed it could very well be an important part of this,” the 78-year-old game show host said. “I’ve got a lot of love out there headed in my direction and a lot of prayer, and I will never, ever minimize the value of that.”
Trebek, who revealed in early May he’s dealt with “deep sadness” throughout this ordeal, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March, and some of his tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent.
Even People senior editor Gillian Telling described the strides Trebek is making as “really miraculous.”
Every year, around 56,770 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of those, some 45,750 will die from the disease. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is about 9 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
Trebek said he cried “tears of joy” when he learned how well his body was responding to the aggressive treatment.
When he announced his diagnosis, the beloved TV personality vowed “to beat the low survival rates statistics for this disease,” joking, “I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host ‘Jeopardy!’ for three more years.”
Trebek asked for prayers at the time and is continuing to do so now. In fact, he credits his supporters’ “good thoughts, their positive energy directed towards me, and their prayers” for helping him fight.