Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek's Cancer Battle Is Not His First Health Crisis

Source: People

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek shocked fans this week when he announced that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but he made it clear that he would fight the often-fatal diagnosis and keep working. This isn’t the first time the beloved 78-year-old game show host has faced a health crisis, and he is ready to “beat the low survival rate statistics” that he is facing.

According to Radar Online, Trebek visited a specialist at a Beverly Hills hospital just two days before his announcement, and this was probably when he received his devastating diagnosis. An insider says that Trebek “looked worried” and was “pacing around while his wife Jean was standing to the side.”

“His omnipresence is very reassuring,” said Katie Couric. She, Cher, and many others react to the news of Alex Trebek’s cancer diagnosis https://t.co/nfqYHVkS4R

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 8, 2019

Cancer is Trebek’s latest health battle, but definitely not his first. Back in 2011, he snapped his Achilles tendon and was in a cast for six weeks after attempting to chase down a woman who had broken into his San Francisco hotel room and robbed him.

The following year, in June 2012, Trebek suffered a heart attack, but he was able to recover quickly. Less than a month later, he was taping episodes for the popular game show’s 20th season.

Many fans remember Trebek hosting Jeopardy! while sitting down during episodes filmed in 2015 when he was recovering from a full knee replacement. And, in 2017, he underwent emergency surgery when he hit his head during a fall that led to blood clots on his brain.

His diagnosis at the time was a subdural hematoma, and the surgery caused Jeopardy! to temporarily shut down production while Trebek recovered.

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is by far the biggest health crisis Trebek has faced. Each year it affects 50 thousand Americans, and the mortality rate is extremely high, with 91 percent of patients dying within five years of a diagnosis.

#Jeopardy host Alex Trebek announced on Wednesday that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer: "I'm going to fight this." Read more: https://t.co/ivBJLeqyJQpic.twitter.com/xOgZoSWt4r

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 7, 2019

Trebek told fans in his taped message that he plans to beat the disease with the love and support of his family and friends, and he also asked fans for prayers. Then, he kept things lighthearted by joking that he has to beat the cancer because he is still under contract to host Jeopardy! for three more years.

Many fans have never lived in a world without Jeopardy! and host Alex Trebek on TV every weekday afternoon. We wish the beloved host all the best as he battles the deadly disease.

Jeopardy! airs weekday afternoons in syndication across the United States.