'Jeopardy' Host Alex Trebek Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 6, 2019

Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has revealed to viewers that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek shared the news in a video message shared through the game show's YouTube account today. You can find it below.

"Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer," Trebek said. "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."

Trebek even joked, "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."

Trebek shared the video message "in in keeping with [his] longtime policy of being open and transparent" with Jeopardy! viewers, in addition to preventing fans "from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding [his] health."

Early last year, Trebek took a break from filming the show to recover from surgery, which he also outlined in a video statement.

Trebek has hosted Jeopardy! since 1984.

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