On March 6, 2019, Alex Trebek delivered sobering news to Jeopardy! fans and the public at large. The long-time host announced that he’d been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which carries a discouragingly low 5-year survival rate (9%), but he defiantly stated that he would beat the disease and keep hosting his show. The past year has been filled with ups and downs during this challenge, and the hurdles included Trebek finding himself overcome with emotion when a contestant surprised him with an on-air tribute to the institution himself.
Well, Trebek has surfaced with a one-year update on his health, and he’s still determined to beat the odds. In fact, he’s already done so in a big way. Here’s part of what he said in a video released by Jeopardy!
“The one-year survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients is 18%. I’m very happy to report I have just reached that marker. Now I’d be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one. There were some good days but a lot of not-so-good days. I joked with friends that the cancer won’t kill me; the chemo treatments will.”
You can watch the full video below, which includes a sentiment (via Trebek) from his oncologist, who believes that a similarly positive two-year milestone is entirely within reach as well. You might get a little teary-eyed, but it’ll be worth it.
A one-year update from Alex: pic.twitter.com/W9101suZeZ
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) March 4, 2020
