'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek says 'good thoughts and prayers' are 'making a difference' as he battles stage 4 cancer
Legendary host Alex Trebek has opened up about his ongoing health battle on 'Good Morning America' after announcing his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
The 'Jeopardy!' host said, "People all over America have been sharing their good thoughts, their advice, their prayers. And I feel it's been making a difference. It's great to be considered an inspiration to people."
He revealed that he was connecting to others with his illness and also confessed that he didn't always feel like he was in top shape. "I've had so many contacts from people who have survived cancer," he said. "I am now a 30-day survivor... I'm going to catch up to those other people." He added, "My oncologist tells me I'm doing well even though I don’t always feel it."
Trebek said that because of his chemotherapy treatement, he often feels "surges of deep, deep sadness, and it brings tears to my eyes", but, he said that he's "fighting through it".
"My platelets are steady, my blood counts are steady, my weight is steady," he added.
He also shared some positive news saying that his cancer indicators were lowering and that his status would be reviewed next week after another chemo session.
The beloved TV host broke the news in a YouTube video that was posted on March 6 where the 78-year-old said he had found out about his condition earlier that week. "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," he says in the video.
He had then jokingly added that he will "have to" recover because he is bound by contract to fulfill his hosting duties at 'Jeopardy!' for three more years. "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," he said.