"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek beats odds and marks milestone in cancer battle
Alex Trebek is celebrating a huge milestone in his battle against cancer, but the "Jeopardy!" host says he was close to giving up on life.
The 79-year-old has beaten the one-year survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer patients, which stands at only 18%.
"I'd be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one," Trebek said in an emotional video. "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."
The positive news came with a candid reflection of his journey. "There were moments of great pain," he shared. "And sudden massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it really was worth fighting on."
A one-year update from Alex: pic.twitter.com/W9101suZeZ
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) March 4, 2020
Despite his struggles, Trebek has continued to do his job and has vowed that he wouldn't be ending his career with the iconic quiz show in the "near future."
In his latest update, the longtime host said that his drive to persevere stems from his commitment to not disappoint those who care about him. Trebek says that giving up on his battle would be a massive betrayal to his wife, other cancer patients who are inspired by his fight, and God.
While the 2-year survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is 7%, Trebek's oncologist hopes that he will defy the odds again.
"He was certain that one year from now, the two of us would be sitting in his office celebrating my second anniversary of survival," Trebek said.
He ended his message with some words of encouragement for his fans. "If we take it just one day at a time, with a positive attitude, anything is possible."
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Chevaz Clarke is a social media producer and trending reporter for CBS News.
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