Alex Trebek’s life is in jeopardy, literally.
The famed TV personality and host of the popular game show Jeopardy!, announced on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Trebek, who is under contract to host the game show series until 2022, has stated that although he is battling this terrible disease, he plans to fight and beat it, contradicting the disease’s low survival rates.
Pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cancer in the United States, has a particularly low survival rate. The disease occurs when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass of cancerous cells.
Trebek, born in Ontario, Canada in 1940, is 78 years of age. He began working for the CBC in 1961, and eventually moved to the United States in 1973 to pursue a television career. Trebek has been hosting Jeopardy! since its inaugural season in 1984, and has hosted various other game shows, such as High Rollers, Double Dare, and The $128,000 Question.
In a video, which was broadcast during the March 6th episode of Jeopardy!, and posted on YouTube, Trebek stated the following:
Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and 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.
Staying strong and confident is the key, Alex. We’re all rooting for you.
Chris is a writer and publisher who travels America, and loves doing it. He also loves pizza, video games, and sports, and can tell you a thing or two about each. Follow him on Medium to be informed of new articles.
