"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek announced Tuesday on "Good Morning America" that he will undergo another round of chemotherapy for stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a month after returning to work and telling fans that he's "on the mend."
Why it matters: Despite overall cancer survival rates improving in the U.S., pancreatic cancer is known to be very deadly and tends to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage.
What he's saying:
- "I was doing so well. And my numbers went down to the equivalent of a normal human being who does not have pancreatic cancer. So we were all very optimistic."
- After the start of immunotherapy, Trebek said he lost about 12 pounds in a week and his numbers skyrocketed "to much higher than they were when I was first diagnosed. So, the doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again and that's what I'm doing."
- "When [the cancer] happened early on I was down on myself. I didn't realize how fallible each of us is in his or her own way … I talk to the audience sometimes and I get teary eyed for no reason. I don't even bother to explain it anymore, I just experience it. I know it's a part of who I am and I just keep going.”
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