Alex Trebek is set to undergo another round of chemotherapy after losing a significant amount of weight and seeing his numbers skyrocket right after his first round of chemo, he told Good Morning America Tuesday morning.
“I was doing so well. And my numbers went down to the equivalent of a normal human being who does not have pancreatic cancer. So we were all very optimistic. And they said, ‘Good, we’re gonna stop chemo, we’ll start you on immunotherapy,” Trebek said. “I lost about 12 pounds in a week. And my numbers went sky high, much higher than they were when I was first diagnosed. So, the doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again and that’s what I’m doing.”
Back in March of this year, Alex Trebek announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The survival rate for this cancer is grim, which made the news even more heart-wrenching for “Jeopardy!” fans and all who know Trebek.
“I’m going to fight this,” Trebek said in a video message back in March. “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.”
The “Jeopardy!” host revealed how much cancer has taken a toll on his body, both mentally and physically. He talked about how cancer has left him in “excruciating pain” and sometimes “fatigue,” but also talked about his battle with depression through this process.
“When it happened early on I was down on myself,” Trebek told GMA. “I didn’t realize how fallible each of us is in his or her own way … I talk to the audience sometimes and I get teary eyed for no reason. I don’t even bother to explain it anymore, I just experience it. I know it’s a part of who I am and I just keep going.”
When asked if his diagnosis and treatments have changed his outlook on life, he says the idea of death doesn’t frighten him.
“I realize that there is an end in sight for me, just as there is for everybody else. One line that I have used with our staff in recent weeks and months is that when I do pass on, one thing they will not say at my funeral is, ‘Oh, he was taken from us too soon,’” Trebek said. “Hey guys. I’m 79-years-old. I’ve had one hell of a good life. And I’ve enjoyed it … the thought of passing on doesn’t frighten me, it doesn’t. Other things do, the affect it will have on my loved ones … it makes me sad. But the thought of myself moving on, hey folks, it comes with the territory.”
Until then, there are no signs of slowing down for Alex Trebek. He plans to continue hosting “Jeopardy!”
“As long as I can walk out and greet the audience and the contestants and run the game I’m happy,” Trebek said.
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