Sep 17, 2019

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek to undergo another round of chemotherapy

Marisa Fernandez

“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.”

Go deeper: As cancer mortality declines, gap between rich and poor emerges

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"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek to undergo another round of chemotherapy

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