Jeopardy's Alex Trebek reveals diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Alex Trebek, the longtime host of TV quiz show Jeopardy!, announced on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek, 78, recorded a message on YouTube, saying: ‘Now, 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.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, 78, announced on Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek has been the host of Jeopardy! for 35 seasons

‘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.

‘Truth told, I have to! Because 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, who has been the host of Jeopardy! for 35 seasons, will immediately begin chemotherapy treatment, TMZ reported.

The syndicated program is viewed by 23 million people each week, making it the top-rated quiz show on U.S. television.

Jeopardy! is produced by Sony Pictures Television Sony, a division of Sony Corp, and distributed by a division of CBS Corp.

The Ontario native has had a few recent health scares.

In December 2017, he underwent brain surgery after he was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Trebek was experiencing complications from a fall the month before when he hit his head.

Trebek is seen above during his first season hosting the successful quiz show in 1984

The syndicated program is viewed by 23 million people each week, making it the top-rated quiz show on U.S. television

Trebek has been married to his wife of 29 years, Jean Currivan Trebek. The couple is seen above in Hollywood in November 2014

On December 16, he underwent surgery to remove a subdural hematoma, which occurs when there is a build-up of bleeding on the brain usually after a head injury.

In 2012, he suffered a mild heart attack. In 2015, he needed to host Jeopardy! sitting down due to a knee replacement that he underwent.

In May, he signed a new contract keeping him on as Jeopardy! host through 2019-2020 – the show’s 36th season on air.

Trebek has been married to his wife of 29 years, Jean Currivan, with whom he shares two children – Matthew, 29, and Emily, 27.

Matthew Trebek is the owner of the popular Mexican eatery Oso in New York City.

Emily works in real estate in Los Angeles, according to PEOPLE.

WHAT IS PANCREATIC CANCER?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease. Around 95 percent of people who contract it die from it.

Joan Crawford, Patrick Swayze and Luciano Pavarotti all died of pancreatic cancer.

It is the fourth-leading killer in the United States. Around 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the UK, and 50,000 in the US.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE?

It is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas – a large gland in the digestive system.

WHO HAS THE HIGHEST RISK?

Most cases (90 percent) are in people over the age of 55. Around half of all new cases occur in people aged 75 or older. One in 10 cases are attributed to genetics.

Other causes include age, smoking and other health conditions, including diabetes. About 80 percent of pancreatic cancer patients have some form of diabetes.

WHY IS IT SO LETHAL?

There is no screening method for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer typically does not show symptoms in the early stages, when it would be more manageable.

Sufferers tend to start developing the tell-tale signs – jaundice and abdominal pain – around stage 3 or 4, when it has likely already spread to other organs.

WHAT ARE THE SURVIVAL RATES?

For all stages of pancreatic cancer combined, the one-year survival rate is 20 percent. At five years, that rate falls to just nine percent.

If the cancer is caught in stage 1A, the five year survival rates is about 14 percent and 12 percent for 1B.

At stage 2, those rates are seven and five percent, respectively. For a pancreatic cancer in its third stage, only three percent of people will survive another five years.

By stage IV, the five-year survival rate falls to just one percent.

WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS?

The only effective treatment is removal of the pancreas. This proves largely ineffective for those whose cancer has spread to other organs. In those cases, palliative care is advised to ease their pain at the end of their life.

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