TORONTO -- Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek says he’s remaining positive as he marks one year since he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
“The one-year survival rate for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients is 18 per cent,” he shared in a video posted on the trivia show’s Twitter account Wednesday. “I’m very happy to report I have just reached that marker.”
While he celebrated the milestone, Trebek acknowledged the journey to get there had not been without its share of difficulties.
“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,” he said.
“There were moments of great pain, days when certain bodily functions no longer functioned, and sudden massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it really was worth fighting on.”
The 79-year-old Canadian-American television personality then went on to say that he brushed those feelings aside quickly because to not fight on would have been a betrayal to his wife, to other cancer patients, and to God and the millions of prayers that have been said on his behalf.
Trebek also spoke of the future in his health update. He said his oncologist told him that even though the two-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is only 7 per cent, he was sure they would be sitting together in his office one year from now celebrating Trebek’s two-year anniversary of survival.
“If we take it just one day at a time, with a positive attitude, anything is possible,” he said. “I’ll keep you posted.”
Despite his cancer, Trebek continues to host “Jeopardy!” and recently said he has no plans to retire anytime soon. He began hosting the popular TV game show in 1984.
