Alex Trebek announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
The longtime “Jeopardy!” host posted a video message to the show’s official YouTube channel Wednesday to share the heartbreaking news to his fans and followers.
“I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fanbase,” Trebek said while sitting on the set of the show.
Trebek, 78, said he wanted to be the first to share the news before other reports surfaced about his health.
“Jeopardy!,” has been on the air since 1984 and Trebek has hosted close to 8,000 episodes if the iconic game show.
While Trebek admitted that the prognosis for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is not very encouraging, he is remaining optimistic and assured his fans that he is going to fight the disease.
Trebek added that he has plans to keep working and with the support and prayers from his family, friends, and fans, he will beat the low survival rate statistics for cancer. Trebek reveals that he is contractually obligated to host the show for three more years and urges fans to “keep the faith.”
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 56,770 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and around 45,750 will die from the disease.
The American Cancer Society notes that pancreatic cancer accounts for only three percent of all cancers in the United States and is responsible for seven percent of all cancer deaths.
